Alexandros Panayi
Encyclopedia
Alexandros Panayi was born in Nicosia
, Cyprus
. Alex is a Cypriot
singer, vocal coach, vocal arranger and composer, best known for having represented his country twice at the Eurovision Song Contest
in 1995
& 2000
.
in Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Fulbright Scholarship (BMus, Honors). During his five-year stay in the United States
he had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Gary Burton
, Peter Erskine
, The Manhattan Transfer
, The New York Voices Vocal Jazz
and Billy Joel
. He also toured the USA as a member of The Vocal Summit – an a capella free improvisation vocal group – gaining the “Outstanding Musicianship Award” from the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE).
Alex was the lead vocalist and co-producer of the album Native Hue (arranged, orchestrated and co-produced by the British composer Matheson Bayley
), featuring several classic Eurovision songs reinterpreted through different genres.
Alex currently lives in Athens, Greece where he coaches and performs with the country’s leading artists including Peggy Zina
Kostas Martakis
and Anna Vissi
. He has performed at the “Herodion” Theatre of the Acropolis
and is a Regional Music Supervisor for Disney, Buena Vista
. Alex is the official Greek voice of many Disney characters such as Tigger
and has starred in more than 40 movies such as Tarzan
, Mulan
, Brother Bear
, and many TV shows. His latest Disney project is taking the role of Johnny in the Greek production of Johnny and the Sprites
. He has also performed in Musical Theatre productions in Athens such as Grease
in the rôle of Kennickie, and the Nikos Karvelas
musical “Mala” in the rôles of Moses & Abraham. He is a teacher of vocal arts at "Fame Studio" the leading free study music school in Athens, and assists various TV and live music shows as artistic director. His big new project is writing the script to, producing and starring in the original musical "Feggaromberdemata" with his close friend and collaborator Katerina Christofidou. The show premieres in Nicosia, Cyprus on April 10, 2008, and is expected to move to Greece in November 2008.
, English
, and French
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Alex is a Cypriot
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
singer, vocal coach, vocal arranger and composer, best known for having represented his country twice at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in 1995
Eurovision Song Contest 1995
The Eurovision Song Contest 1995 was the 40th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 1995 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenter was Mary Kennedy. This contest broke the chain of victories that Ireland enjoyed in 1992, 1993, and 1994...
& 2000
Eurovision Song Contest 2000
The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was the 45th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 2000 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, following Charlotte Nilsson's victory in Jerusalem the previous year. It was the first time since 1996 that the contest was held on mainland Europe. The...
.
Early life
Alex Panayi grew up in a family of musicians and artists, and took his first musical steps under the guidance of his father Panayiotis Panayi (founder of the first symphony orchestra in Cyprus), and his mother Klairy Panayi (acclaimed Cypriot pianist). By the age of 18 he had already established himself as one of the leading singers and songwriters of his country, moving on to study music at the Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by the Fulbright Scholarship (BMus, Honors). During his five-year stay in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
he had the opportunity to perform with artists such as Gary Burton
Gary Burton
Gary Burton is an American jazz vibraphonist.A true original on the vibraphone, Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the usual two-mallets. This approach caused Burton to be heralded as an innovator and his sound and technique are widely imitated...
, Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine
Peter Erskine is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report...
, The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
, The New York Voices Vocal Jazz
Vocal jazz
Jazz singing can be defined by the instrumental approach to the voice, where the singer can match the instruments in their stylistic approach to the lyrics, improvised or otherwise, or through scat singing; that is, the use of nonsensical meaningless non-morphemic syllables to imitate the sound of...
and Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
. He also toured the USA as a member of The Vocal Summit – an a capella free improvisation vocal group – gaining the “Outstanding Musicianship Award” from the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE).
Eurovision Song Contest
Alex's involvement with the Eurovision Song Contest includes:- backing vocals for the 1989 Cypriot entry "Apopse As VrethoumeApopse As Vrethume"Apopse As Vrethume" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1989, performed in Greek by Fani Polymeri and Yiannis Savvidakis....
"; - backing vocals for Elena PatroklouElena PatroklouElena Patroklou was born in Nicosia in 1968. She began her musical career studying guitar and piano when she was just ten years old. She completed her musical studies in Vienna and Cyprus and received her music diploma in 1989...
in the 1991 Cypriot entry "SOS"; - soloist and composer for the Cypriot entry "Sti FotiaSti Fotia"Sti Fotia" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1995, performed in Greek by Alexandros Panayi....
" in 1995; - performing the duet, "Fterougisma" with Marlen AngelidouMarlen AngelidouMarlain Angelidou sometimes spelt Marlen Angelidou , is a Greek singer and actress. She is best known for being former member of Greece's first ever manufactered girl band, Hi-5, as well as representing Cyprus in 1999's Eurovision Song Contest with Tha 'Ne Erotas...
in the Cypriot preselection of 1998; - performing in the vocal duo VoiceVoiceVoice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
with Christina Argyri for the 2000 Cypiot entry "NomizaNomiza"Nomiza" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000, performed in Greek and Italian by the duo Voice, made up of Christina Argyri and Alexandros Panayi...
"; - as backing vocalist for Helena PaparizouElena PaparizouEleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
in the song, "My Number OneMy Number OneAs Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia's Boris Novković and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami" and preceding Russia's Natalia Podolskaya with "Nobody Hurt...
" which won the 2005 contestEurovision Song Contest 2005The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
. - stage director for Fabrizio FanielloFabrizio FanielloFabrizio Faniello is a Maltese pop singer. He represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001 and 2006. He is seen by many as Malta's hope in its fledgling experimental electronica scene, contributing to many international compilations and collaborating with well known artists as diverse...
, MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, with the song "I doI Do (Fabrizio Faniello song)"I Do" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in English by Fabrizio Faniello.The song is an up-tempo number, in which Faniello tells his lover that "I love you like a fool", despite the fact that their relationship has ostensibly ended...
" in 2006 Eurovision Song Contest held in AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... - backing vocals for Sakis RouvasSakis RouvasAnastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
in the 2009 Greek entry "This Is Our NightThis Is Our Night"This Is Our Night" is a song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, from the album Irthes. It was selected as Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009...
"
Other work
Matheson Bayley
Matheson Bayley , is a British pianist, composer, orchestrator, singer and television host. He studied commercial composition at the Royal Academy of Music, London...
), featuring several classic Eurovision songs reinterpreted through different genres.
Alex currently lives in Athens, Greece where he coaches and performs with the country’s leading artists including Peggy Zina
Peggy Zina
Kalliopi Zina , known professionally as Peggy Zina, is a Greek singer. Peggy Zina made her discographic debut in 1995 with her self-titled album. She has since released ten studio albums and is a high-profile artist in the Greek music industry...
Kostas Martakis
Kostas Martakis
Konstantinos "Kostas" Martakis is a Greek singer, who rose to fame after appearing on Greek talent show Dream Show aired by Alpha TV in 2006. Following his participation, he went on to release three studio albums and also participated in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008...
and Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
. He has performed at the “Herodion” Theatre of the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
and is a Regional Music Supervisor for Disney, Buena Vista
Buena Vista (Walt Disney Company)
Buena Vista is a brand name frequently used for divisions of The Walt Disney Company, whose primary studios and offices are located on Buena Vista Street in Burbank, California. It was originally created by Walt Disney in 1953 after the release of Peter Pan to distribute his film and television...
. Alex is the official Greek voice of many Disney characters such as Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
and has starred in more than 40 movies such as Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, Mulan
Mulan
Mulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...
, Brother Bear
Brother Bear
Brother Bear is a 2003 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, the forty-fourth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. In the film, an Inuit boy pursues a bear in revenge for a battle that he provoked in which...
, and many TV shows. His latest Disney project is taking the role of Johnny in the Greek production of Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia . The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz...
. He has also performed in Musical Theatre productions in Athens such as Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
in the rôle of Kennickie, and the Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
musical “Mala” in the rôles of Moses & Abraham. He is a teacher of vocal arts at "Fame Studio" the leading free study music school in Athens, and assists various TV and live music shows as artistic director. His big new project is writing the script to, producing and starring in the original musical "Feggaromberdemata" with his close friend and collaborator Katerina Christofidou. The show premieres in Nicosia, Cyprus on April 10, 2008, and is expected to move to Greece in November 2008.
Trivia
Alex speaks fluently GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...