Vikentios Gionanidis is a Greek tuba player and arranger for brass. He was born in 1988 in Corfu and began his musical studies in 1998 at the wind band “Mantzaros”, witch included theory, percussion, euphonium and finally the tuba. Later, he Studied at the Conservatory of Corfu and in October 2007 he began his studies at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien in Hannover, Germany joining the famous tuba class of Prof. Jens Bjørn-Larsen. During his time there, he had the chance to participate in various chamber music ensembles as well as performing solo recitals and receiving orchestral training. He got his Diploma Degree on February 2013.
He won first prizes in two of the most prestigious competitions for brass instruments. At the International Aeolus Competition in Düsseldorf (2010), apart from the first prize, he also won the special prize for contemporary music and the audience award, competing against other brass instruments including the trumpet and the trombone. At the International Instrumental Competition in Markneukirchen (2012) Gionanidis won the first prize. He also won prizes at the National Music Academy Competition in Lübeck (2011) and the International Brass Competition in Gdansk (2012).
Vikentios has appeared as a soloist with the Folkwang Kammerorchester, Essen, the Orchestra of the Plauen-Zwickau Theater, the Göttinger Symphoniker, the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the Gdansk Academy Orchestra, just to name a few.
As an orchestral musician, Vikentios has performed with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Staatsoper Hamburg, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig, the Staatsorchester Stuttgart, the Komische Oper Berlin, the Konzerthaus-Orchestra Berlin, among others.
His passion for chamber music gave him the opportunity to perform with many prestigious groups, such as the Ensemble Modern, which specialises in contemporary music, the German Opera Brass (brass ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin), the Salaputia Brass, the 10-for Brass, to name a few.
Since 2014 Vikentios Gionanidis has been teaching orchestral and solo literature at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien, Hannover, assisting his teacher Prof. Jens Björn-Larsen. He has given masterclasses in many countries, including Greece, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Scotland and the USA.
Apart of his work as a tuba player, Vikentios is also an active arranger of music for brass. His arrangements have been published and performed all over the world. His etude books for tuba and trombone, 29 Bel Canto Studies and 24 Advanced Studies became immediately successful and serve as a companion and source of knowledge for many tuba and trombone players around the globe.
Since the season 2013/2014 Vikentios holds the position of Principal Tuba in the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.
Vikentios is a Buffet Crampon artist and plays B&S tubas.