The Phanos Project

The mission of The Phanos Project is to promote and perform the music of Phanos Dymiotis. Phanos was a gifted composer who was born in Cyprus, educated in England and at Princeton University, and lived in Baltimore. His untimely death in a car accident in 2007 was a great loss to the music world, and we formed The Phanos Project to help ensure that his music continues to be heard around the world.

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to help us ensure that Phanos’ music is heard.
To donate, click here or mail a check, but please be sure to note “Phanos Project” on your contribution. Thank you for helping us keep Phanos’ music playing!
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Theophanis Dymiotis
3 April 1965 – 10 March 2007
Theophanis was born in Cyprus and grew up in Nicosia. He began playing the mandolin and recorder in fourth grade, and at age nine the violin, which became his primary instrument. He began composing at the age of ten.

At fourteen, Phanos went to Manchester, England to attend Chetham’s School of Music. He graduated with First Class Honors in Music from Cambridge University and also held a Ph.D. in Composition from Princeton University. Phanos taught music theory and composition at Goucher College and Towson University before leaving academia to devote himself full-time to performance and composition. He was a much-loved violin teacher at McDaniel College and a member of the Mariner String Quartet. He performed regularly with the Annapolis, Delaware and Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestras, the Baltimore Opera Company and also as a recitalist and soloist. Phanos’ explosive virtuosity and impeccable musicianship won him the respect of audiences and colleagues alike.

His music has been described as intelligent, lyrical and witty. The Boston Globe writes, Dymiotis writes for string quartet with complex contrapuntal thickness…the music’s forward-moving thrust and long-lined and often plaintive lyricism have a Mediterranean sparkle.

Phanos’ music has been performed in Europe and the United States, and has won numerous awards. His Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra was premiered in Italy in 1997, followed by a performance in 1998 in Baltimore with Leon Fleisher conducting and Katherine Jacobson Fleisher at the piano. His brass septet of 1998 was recorded by Saint Mary’s Brass on their Sonora Records CD, Hearing the Call.

In 2004 Phanos was commissioned by the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture to compose a work to be performed during the celebrations of Cyprus’ European Union accession. Also in 2004 he wrote his award-winning Music for Five for oboe and string quartet. His last piece, The Soldier’s Blues, was commissioned by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and premiered in Chestertown, MD on 22 March 2007, twelve days after Phanos’ untimely death.

Phanos was known for his kindness, generosity and sense of humor. He was always smiling and had a penchant for puns. He enjoyed cooking, running and reading (in both Greek and English) in subjects as wide as mathematics, art history, literature, and evolutionary biology. As a violinist he was known for being able to play anything at sight. Extremely modest despite his accomplishments, he is greatly missed by his friends and colleagues throughout the world.

  • Incidental Music for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” — 1981
    Used for production at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester (England).
  • Divertimento for Chamber Orchestra — 1983
    Performed by the Chetham’s School of Music Chamber Orchestra during their tour of South England, July 1983.
  • Duo for Violin and Piano — 1985
    World Premiere: Purcell Room, London, July 1985 by the composer and pianist Murray McLachlan.
    New York Premiere: Renee Weiler Hall, April 1992 by Cyrus Stevens and Eliza Garth.
  • Viola Sonata — 1986
  • Nonet for Eight Winds and Piano — 1986
    Premiered at Cambridge University, June 1986 by the Cambridge University Orchestra.
  • Showpiece for Piano Quartet — 1987
  • Fantasia quasi una ciaccona for ‘Cello and Piano — 1987
    Premiered at Princeton University, May 1989 by Andre Emelianoff and Emma Tahmisian.
  • Night Music for Piano — 1987
    Premiered at Princeton University, May 1988 by Glenn Jacobson.
  • String Quartet no. 1 — 1986-1987
    Premiered at the Wellesley Composers’ Conference, August 1988.
  • Six Miniatures for Clarinet and Piano — 1988
  • Antitheseis for Clarinet, Violin and Piano — 1989-1990
    Premiered at Princeton University, March 1990 by the Princeton Ensemble.
  • String Quartet no. 2 — 1989-1991
    Premiered at Princeton University, March 1991 by the Cassatt String Quartet.
  • Five Little Pieces for ‘Cello and Piano — 1992
    Premiered at Princeton University, May 1992 by Theodore Mook and Margaret Kampmeier.
  • Academic Overture for Orchestra — 1992
    Premiered in Nicosia, Cyprus, October 1992 by the Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra.
    Greek premiere, Salonika, January 1993 by the Northern Greece Symphony Orchestra.
  • Suite for String Orchestra — 1993
    Written for and premiered by the preparatory group of the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, May 1993.
  • Five is Enough — for flute, clarinet, violin, ‘cello and piano
    Premiered by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble under G. Tsontakis, at the 1993 Aspen Summer Music Festival.
  • 309, for piano trio — 1994
    Written for and premiered by the Stone-Wallfisch-Papadopoulos Trio, Nicosia, Cyprus, March 1994.
  • Poem, for Harp — 1994
  • Elegy, for violin and piano — 1994
    Written for and premiered by Eileen Hyun and Elise Yun, Midland, MI, December 1994.
  • Bagatelle, for solo piano — 1995
    Premiered by Henry Martin at the auditorium of the Mannes School of Music, New York City, April 1997.
  • Ballad, for Saxophone Quartet — 1995
    Commissioned by the Transcontinental Saxophone Quartet.
  • Incidental Music for Ekaterini Cornaro — 1995
    Commissioned by the Cyprus Theatre Organization.
  • Concertino, for piano and chamber orchestra — 1996
    Commissioned by the Sicilian Regional Government for pianist Manolis Neophytou and the Ars Musica Chamber Orchestra. Premiered in Messina, Sicily, May 1997. Also performed in Palermo and Catania. North American premiere by pianist Katherine Jacobson (Leon Fleisher conducting).
  • Unknown Shadows, for alto saxophone, soprano voice and piano; poetry by Lia Mirali -1997
    Commissioned by Yiannis Miralis; premiered June 1997 in Nicosia, Cyprus.
  • After Shadows, for orchestra – 1997
  • Piano Trio — 1998
    Premiered by the Laurel Trio.
  • Brass Septet — 1998
    Available on Sonora Records’ “Hearing the Call” CD
  • Trio for violin, baritone saxophone and piano — 1999
    Commissioned by a consortium of saxophonists.
  • Chaconne for flute and piano — 2001
  • Duets for two saxophones — 2003
  • Hymn to Aphrodite for four vocal soloists and orchestra with poetry by Homer — 2004
    Commissioned by the Cyprus government to celebrate the country’s accession to the European Union. Premiered by Maciej Zoltowski and the Cyprus State Orchestra in Nicosia on April 30, 2004.
  • Music for Five for oboe and string quartet — 2004.
    Recorded by members of the Cyprus State Orchestra.
  • The Soldier’s Blues — 2007
    Commissioned and premiered by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Julien Benichou. Scored for violin, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, bass, and percussion.

NB: There are also a number of childhood works and unfinished adult works, as well as sketches, letters, concert programs, etc. included in the Dymiotis collection.