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Biography

Born in Athens (Greece), Nicholas Papadimitriou is an interdisciplinary musician active as an organist, improviser, composer, educator and researcher.

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​Fueled by a constant search for creativity and innovation, he is active on multiple fronts in the music performance and education scene. Currently, he holds the position of Music Director at the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk in Amsterdam. Since 2018 Nicholas has collaborated multiple times with contemporary artists such as Nicolas Jaar and Jacob Lekkerkerker, as part of ‘Playing the Cathedral’, a series of concerts at the Oude Kerk (in Amsterdam).

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An improviser and composer his ambition is to connect people with music in relatable ways. In 2020, amidst the global pandemic, his composition 'The COVID-19 Fugue' gathered more than 2 million views and was widely praised within the music scene. 

 

In his work as an educator, his vision is to promote a comprehensive approach towards learning music, and understanding it as a cohesive language. Next to his own teaching practice ​Nicholas teaches solfège & music theory at the young talent departments of Muziekschool Amsterdam and at CKV Almere.

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​Since 2016 he has been the student-assistant for the subject of General Music Theory at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.
In the meantime, he is also writing his second teaching method ‘The Game of Tones’; an innovative approach to non-stylistic improvisation.

 

​Nicholas studied organ at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam under the guidance of Jacques van Oortmerssen, Pieter van Dijk, and Matthias Havinga. In this time, he also attended numerous masterclasses with Louis Robilliard. 
During his Master’s degree, he focused on exploring improvisation from new angles; both from a performing as well as a pedagogical perspective. There he established an extensive research project dedicated to the development of modern teaching methods that promote the concept of creative music-making.

 

Previously, in the period 2009-2012, Nicholas had studied piano and music theory at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Athens. For the latter, he graduated with a distinction.

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