The Master's Degree in Jazz Performance at the Ionian University
The Master's Degree in Jazz Performance at the Ionian University is for fully trained jazz musicians with significant professional experience who also have the ability to conduct research in historical or technical subjects related to the performing or teaching of jazz.
George Polychronakos is the fourth of a series of great professional jazz musicians and educators to be awarded a master's degree in jazz performance from the Department of Music at the Ionian University. His master's thesis "The Timbral Range Of The Snare Drum In Jazz : Sounds & Notation" included "Snareland" an original composition inspired by master jazz drummer "Papa" Jo Jones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gfj2GdGNCg
The other three distinguished musicians and jazz master's degree graduates from the Ionian University are:
- Dimitris Kalantzis (piano) http://jazzonline.gr/en/musicians/item/253-kalantzis-dimitris.html
- Alex-Drakos Ktistakis (drums) http://jazzonline.gr/en/musicians/item/79-drakos-ktistakis-alexandros.html
- Makis Stefanidis (guitar)
Lefteris Kordis, DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory
Lefteris Kordis one of the first graduates of the Ionian University Jazz Program is now the first jazz musician from Greece to be awarded a Doctorate Degree in Jazz from a historical musical institution in the USA. He is also an original jazz pianist of world class and a faculty member at the New England Conservatory in Boston.
His dissertation is a remarkable work and a fascinating reading for jazz musicians and anyone involved in music teaching and pedagogy.
It is downloadable at : http://ir.flo.org/nec/institutionalPublicationPublicView.action?institutionalItemId=27
Lefteris has contributed to both of the Ionian University Jazz CDs ("Ionian Jazz Ensemble" and "Jazz Now!") and recently came back to the Ionian University to teach jazz students as a visiting artist.
