STYLIANOS DIMOU

The emergence of these captivating soundscapes serves as the harmonious extension of acoustic instruments, propelling us towards the creation of a mesmerizing "hybrid sonic twin". This collision can be considered the pivotal moment of reimagining "complexity", whether it be in the realm of sound or as an immersive performance experience.

Stylianos Dimou is a Greek composer renowned for his expertise in acoustic and electroacoustic music. His multifaceted skills extend to conducting, accordion performance, piano, and electronic music improvisation. Dimou’s exceptional contributions to the field have earned him numerous awards and distinctions. His artistic endeavors have been supported by a range of prestigious international organizations, including the Fulbright Program, Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Public Humanities Initiative, Leventis Foundation, Gerondelis Foundation, Columbia University, the Eastman School of Music, Cité Internationale des Arts, Fondation Royaumont, Federal Ministry of Culture and Media of Austria, Herrenhaus Edenkoben, OeAD-GmbH, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and the Lucerne Festival Academy.

Dimou's extensive involvement in the realm of music includes active participation in numerous International Composers Meetings, Festivals, and Competitions. He embarked on this journey by pursuing advanced studies in Music Composition at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Music Studies (Greece), where he earned his BMus and MM in Composition under the guidance of Professor Christos Samaras. Seeking to expand his artistic horizons, Dimou subsequently pursued Graduate Studies at the University of Rochester in the Eastman School of Music (USA), where he obtained his MA in Composition, as a recognized Fulbright Scholar. During his time at Eastman, he had the privilege of studying composition with the distinguished composers Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Robert Morris, and David Liptak, as well as delving into the realm of advanced electronic music under the mentorship of Allan Schindler (deceased). 

Dimou’s exceptional talent and unwavering dedication were duly recognized with his acceptance into the prestigious Cursus program at the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM) in Paris for the academic year 2017-18. During his time at IRCAM, Dimou immersed himself in the vanguard of computer music programming, electroacoustic composition, and advanced electronic music, guided by the esteemed mentor Mikhail Malt. This intensive professional training offered him a rarefied environment to refine his craft and engage with the forefront of technological innovation in the field. Building upon this transformative experience, Dimou subsequently assumed the role of Composer and Music Researcher at the OeAD organization, affiliated with the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, from 2018 to 2019. In this capacity, he was able to realize the creative and compositional aspects of his doctoral dissertation, further advancing his artistic and digital explorations. 

In the autumn of 2019, Dimou was honored with a coveted residency at the illustrious Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, a prestigious recognition awarded through the Greek Embassy's artist selection process. This residency offered him an inspiring sanctuary to cultivate his artistic vision, delve into novel creative realms, and engage in fruitful collaborations with a diverse community of artists. This period of creative exploration seamlessly transitioned into his academic achievements as he completed his Doctoral Degree at Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. As a Dean’s Fellow, Dimou embarked on an intensive journey of artistic research, guided by the esteemed mentorship of Professors George Lewis, Fred Lerdahl, Georg Friedrich Haas, and Brad Garton. This confluence of residency and doctoral study marked a pivotal chapter in Dimou's pursuit of excellence and innovation in the realm of contemporary music.

Currently, Dimou serves as a tenured Associate Professor of Composition at the Grieg Academy, Department of Music, University of Bergen, Norway, where he teaches Acoustic and Electroacoustic Composition, Music Technology, Theory, and Analysis at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His research focuses on the creative symbiosis between humans and technology, with an emphasis on sonic hybridity, spatial immersion through interactive sound systems, digital signal processing, and multichannel audio. Dimou also investigates intricate chromatic and microtonal structures, particularly in the context of Georges Aperghis’s work. From March to July 2024, Dimou served as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Peloponnese, Greece, teaching sound design, interactive sound systems, and digital signal processing. Previously, Dimou was a Research Assistant Professor in the Academy of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University, from January 2021 to January 2024, where he focused on Composition, Music technology, and Electroacoustic music. His research at Hong Kong Baptist University emphasized the creative interaction between human artistry and technological innovation across diverse performance practices.

Dimou's exceptional talent and artistic contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, distinctions, and nominations. Some notable accolades include the 2nd Prize in the Fifth Regensburg Composition Competition 2022, finalist nomination at the ICE Week 2022 together with TEMPUS KONNEX ensemble, the Charles S. Miller Prize (2029) (graduate) from the GSAS of the Columbia University for artistic and academic excellence, his selection at the OPEN CALL of Festival Mixtur 2020, Honorable mention at the 2020 Call for Electronic Works by the Tesselat Composers Collective, the Award for artistic excellence as a Prominisng young Composer from the European-wide Ulysses Network / IRCAM 2018-2019, 1st Prize at the 2nd International Composition Competition “Amici della Musica di Cagliari“, 1st Prize at the International Prize for Composition “Luigi Nono” (3rd edition), 2nd Prize in the 24th Annual Martirano Award, 1st Prize and the “Audience’s Prize” sponsored by the “Bärenreiter” Publishing Company at the Weimarer Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik 2012 (International Festival for New music), 1st Prize at the 3rd International Composition Competition ‘‘Synthermia’’2009, 2nd Prize at the International Composition Competition “Ton de Leeuw 2008”, 2nd Prize at the 2nd Festival of Children Opera in Thessaloniki 2008, 3rd Prize in the International Composition Competition “Musica Domani Prize”, Wayne Brewster Barlow Prize, Excellence in Composition – Eastman School of Music 2012, 3rd Prize at the 3rd Competition of Music Composition in memory of D. Dragataki 2008,Outstanding Award at the 10th Chengdu China SUN RIVER PRIZE Composition Competition – ISCM 2014, Honorable Mention at the International ilSUONO Contemporary Music, finalist at the Finalist The Young Composers Competition 2017, Merit Award at the Tribeca New Music, Young Composer Competition, Finalist at the ALEA III International Composition Competition 2011, Runner up at the 2011 RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition, Finalist International Composition Competition Antonín Dvořák 2010-11, and Honorary mentions in the Greek Festival of Chamber Music 2007, 2009 & 2010.

 Dimou's artistic vision has led to collaborations with numerous prestigious performers, ensembles, and orchestras, showcasing his versatility and ability to work across diverse musical landscapes. His collaborators include groups such as the Ensemble InterContemporain, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Jenaer Philharmonic Orchestra, International Ensemble Modern Academy 2014/15, 2019/20 & 2021/22, the Arditti Quartet, the Sigma Project Saxophone Quartet, the MULTILATéRALE ensemble, the Proxima Centauri ensemble, the Ex-Sentia ensemble, the Concept Store Quartet, Quartet Iberosudamericano, the ensemble Tempus Konnex, Talea ensemble, ICE ensemble, Illinois Modern Ensemble, Insomnio Ensemble, Slagwerk Den Haag, The New European Ensemble, Ensemble Risonanze Erranti, EXAUDI Vocal Ensemble, the Psappha ensemble, The ICP Ensemble, Ensemble Contrechamps, Orkest de Ereprijs, Talea Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, Ensemble Nikel, Namascae Lemanic Modern Ensemble, dissonArt ensemble, ALEA III, Alarm Will Sound ensemble, Stenhammar Quartet, Greek ensemble of contemporary music, Idee Fixe, Orpheus Soloists, and many others.

Dimou's compositions have been commissioned and presented by renowned international festivals, institutions, and composition competitions in Europe and the USA, including the electroacoustic music + digital art - MA/IN festival (2016, 2024), the 64th International festival of Contemporary Music Warsaw Autumn 2021, Festival Ensemble(s) 2021 (Paris), OPEN MUSIC GRAZ - Junge Stücke festival 2021, Australasian Computer Music Conference 2022, 3rd Internacional Festival de Música Nueva de Querétaro “Interciclos” 2021, Festival Risonanze Erranti 2021, Internationales Digitalkunst Festival 2021, 7th edition of the Symposium iX 2021/ Son & Immersion 2021, Société des arts technologiques [SAT], the Mixtur festival 2020, impuls 2019 & 2023 – International Ensemble and Composers Academy for Contemporary Music, ISACM / IKI Hamburg 2019, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival 2019, Nomination at the New Classics Competition of Moscow Conservatory for young composers 2018, IRCAM – MANIFESTE 2014, 2016 & 2018, Gaudeamus Music Week 2015 & 2018, International Ensemble Modern Academy 2015, 2020 & 2022, World Saxophone Congress 2018, International Computer Music Conference 2016 – ICMC 2016, DELIAN ACADEMY FOR NEW MUSIC 2017, Altitude University – Ensemble Multilatérale 2017, Curso de Composición Institut Français-Barcelona Modern Project 2017, MAtera INtermedia festival 2016, Moving Classics 2016, New Music Edmonton 2015 Hear This Now Festival, Firenze Suona Contemporanea 2014, Royaumont/ Voix nouvelles/ session de composition 2013, 5th [‘tactus] Young Composers Forum 2013, June in Buffalo, International Festival and Conference 2013, Tzlil Meudcan 2013 International Festival & Summer Course for New Music Performance & Composition, Young Composers Meeting 2013, Mizzou New Music Summer Festival – University of Missouri, Sounds New Contemporary Music Festival – International Composers Pyramid, The 5th New Music Week in Shanghai 2012 and 13th Weimarer Frühjahrstage für zeitgenössische Musik 2012-19, and many more. These platforms have provided him with the opportunity to share his unique artistic vision, contribute to the contemporary music landscape, and engage with diverse audiences.

Stylianos Dimou’s career is marked by his steadfast dedication to artistic excellence and his deep engagement with the interplay between technology and human expression. His compositions are known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary music, offering immersive and compelling sonic experiences. Dimou's innovative approach and commitment to his craft contribute significantly to the evolving musical landscape and serve as an inspiration for future composers and musicians.