COSTAS CACOYANNIS holds diplomas in piano, flute, violin, and teaching and has a degree in Electrical Engineering . After winning a Fulbright scholarship, he went to the United States for studies in theory and composition. He graduated Magna cum Laude and received the Ming Prize (a scholarship for the best composer). The Master of Music Degree in Composition was earned at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. where he studied as a scholarship student Film Scoring and taught Electronic Music. Costa has won the BMI and GWUC composition contests and was honored with the IEIEE Prize in Electronics.
From ’94 to ’98 he was the Musical Director of DIASTASIS. He collaborated with the singers Yiannis Kotsiras, Nana Mouskouri, George Dalaras, Michalis Hadjiyannis, Kalliopi Vetta, Alexia, Johnny Logan the choreographer Demetres Papaioannou and the Film Director Michael Cacoyannis . He has composed the music for many ballet, theatrical, television and cinema productions in Cyprus and abroad.
His music has been performed in major theaters and music halls around the world such as the Chicago town hall , the Kremlin Palace , the Acropolis Herodion amphitheater, the Bloomsbury and Her Majesty’s in London's West End, the "Haus der Kulturen" in Germany and the Megaro Mousikis in Athens.
During 2006, he wrote the music for two Athens Festival productions: Aristophanes’ “Ekklisiazousae” and Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” directed by Michael Cacoyannis. Costa’s music has been released on 17 CD’s.
In 2007 Costas Cacoyannis founded with Pambos Kouzalis “PARAKENTRO” a non - profit cultural center and publishing company located on Troodos mountain in Cyprus, featuring a recording studio , an exhibition hall, a performance stage and rooms for artists/poets/musicians to reside as guests. He has also directed a series of documentary films, music videos and video poetry.
Recently he has been elected to compose the opening, closing and incidental music for the Junior Eurovision song contest 2008.
On September 2008 he was awarded the "Best Documentary" prize at the Drama Film Festival for a documentary film he co-directed with P. Kouzalis called "Transcendence" featuring the life of composer with muscular dystrophy Stelios Pissis.
Since March 2010 he appears on National TV as a judge on the Talent Show PERFORMANCE (The winner of this show will represent Cyprus on the Eurovision 2011 song contest
other spellings: Kakogiannis, Kakogiannis, Kakogiannis, Costas Kakogiannis, Kostas Kakogiannis, Costas Kakoyiannis, Kostas Kakoyiannis, Costa Cacoyannis , Costas Cacoyiannis, Costas Cacoyannis Costas Kakoyiannis, Costas Kakogiannis, Kostas Kakogiannis, Kostas Kakoyiannis ??sta? ?a????????? ??sta ?a???????? ?a????????? ??sta? ?a???e?t?? Parakentro www.parakentro.com ??sta ?a???????? ??sta? ?a?????????
A song commmissioned by UNICEF that received its first performance during the Junior Eurovision 2008 song contest. All participants sang "Hand in Hand" stressing the need for clean drinking water for all children.
Produced and composed by COSTAS CACOYANNIS
Lyrics PAMBOS KOUZALIS
Recorded at Parakentro Studios in Lemithou Cyprus
Yiannis Kotsiras at the Parakentro studios in Lemithou Cyprus recording the song Osa Agapisa by Costas Cacoyannis and Pambos Kouzalis.
