Manos Hadjidakis was ahead of his time. He brought a new vision and prominence to Hellenic music through the radio and concerts in his homeland and in film worldwide.
In October 2025, Kombos Collective celebrates the 100-year anniversary of Hadjidakis’s birthday with concerts and a new release of his piano music performed by Mary-Victoria Voutsas.
Manos Hadjidakis, born in Xanthi, Greece on October 23, 1925, is considered one of modern Greece’s greatest composers. He transformed the seemingly lower-class r ebetika and popular music into a respected art form by combining folk and classical styles. In Greece, he was well-known as a pop songwriter, with countless tunes that are considered classics. Hadjidakis gained recognition abroad for his movie soundtracks, winning an Oscar in 1960 for the title song from Never on Sunday. He composed extensively for theater, ballet, as well as classical works for large and small ensembles. A proponent of new music, he financed the “Composition Competition of Manos Hadzidakis” (1962), which was focused on technological advances in composing, and would ultimately launch the career of Yannis Xenakis. Hadjidakis founded and conducted several orchestras throughout his career, including the Athens Experimental Orchestra (est. 1963) and Orchestra of Colours (est. 1989). He remained a highly respected intellectual and cultural figure in Greece up until his death in 1994.
Mary-Victoria Voutsas is a “powerful” and “enthralling pianist” (Washington City Paper). She has toured extensively as a pianist and classical musician; she has performed solo at many notable venues, including the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage & Terrace Theatre, the Lisner Auditorium, and many embassies. Ms. Voutsas is also one of the visiting Artists in Residency for Wolf Trap Center for the Performing Arts and has accompanied for the National Symphony Orchestra and artists such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alison Krauss, and collaboratively performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Ms. Voutsas resides in the Washington D.C. area, where she teaches piano and theory, and performs regularly. She is completing her D.M.A. at Catholic University, and her dissertation is focused on the piano works of Manos Hadjidakis and the history and influence of rebetika music in Hellenic song.
Past releases
Booking now for October 2025
Please contact Ellie Falaris Ganelin for booking inquiries: ellie@kombosmusic.com
Option 1: Solo piano performance featuring Mary-Victoria Voutsas
Option 2: Trio featuring vocalist Katerina Clambaneva, flutist Ellie Falaris Ganelin, and pianist Mary-Victoria Voutsas
About Katerina Clambaneva
Katerina Clambaneva specializes in traditional and contemporary Greek music and performs internationally, throughout Europe and the United States. She is captivated by world music and is very interested in cultural fusion through musical expression. She has a versatile voice and enjoys singing in a multitude of languages.
Katerina maintains a busy performance schedule participating in several groups including, PAKAW!, Plastikes Karekles, and the Josquin Singers of B.A.C.H. Cities she has performed in include Athens, San Francisco, Oakland, London, Isle of Wight, Ixtapa Mexico, Brussels Belgium, Istanbul, Luxembourg, Mytilini Greece and counting. Favorite venues include the National Theatre in London, the Green Note in Camden, ODC Theatre in San Francisco and 1002 Nihtes in Athens.
Career highlights as a vocalist include the dance production of Rebetiko with Yannis Adoniou’s KUNST-STOFF and music by Minos Matsas, with shows in Berlin and San Francisco and the film score for the Spanish film De Tu Ventana a la mia directed by Paula Ortiz with music composed by Avshalom Caspi.
Katerina was born in San Francisco and raised in Athens, Greece. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations from UC Berkeley, she built her career in Arts Administration and Marketing. She has been living in London since 2009, where she completed her Masters in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Music at City University and currently works as a performing arts manager.
About Ellie Falaris Ganelin
Ellie Falaris Ganelin is a flutist and music director who is classically trained and welcomes other traditions into the fold, including jazz, Latin, Balkan and klezmer music. She is active as a performer of chamber and orchestral music in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is committed to making classical music inviting and accessible for all as an ambassador and performer for the Awesöme Orchestra Collective. For the past decade, she has been the director of the Kombos Collective, which aims to inspire, educate and challenge audiences through innovative programming. Ellie received her B.A. in Music from the University of Maryland, where she also holds a B.A. in Journalism and a Minor in French.