Lefteris Kordis

Lefteris Kordis, Greek born pianist and composer, is fast becoming an important presence in the Boston jazz scene. He currently leads a quartet and a septet, which performs his original compositions, as well as performing with the clarinetists Darryl Harper, Alec Spiegelman, and numerous other young Boston musicians. Recently, he became a band member of the singer’s Carmen Marsico trio, the trumpet player’s Nicole Rambresaud quintet, and the clarinetist’s Joseph Howell quartet. The Lefteris Kordis septet’s new CD Dancing in the Temple is to be released in 2006.

Kordis came to the United States on a Fullbright scholarship after already having begun a notable career in Greece.  Just out of music high school, he performed with the famous Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis on piano and trumpet.  While at the Ionian University in Corfu, Lefteris focused on the piano, and began to play jazz in addition to the classical repertoire he had studied since the age of four. 

In March 2002, the Fulbright Foundation in Greece awarded him a Fulbright scholarship for Graduate Studies in Jazz Piano Performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Since September 2002, he has performed with the soprano saxophone legend Steve Lacy, with Joe Lovano, and with the conductor and arranger Robert Sadin. Since September 2004, he has been part of the DMA program at NEC.  He currently studies with Bob Brookmeyer, Danilo Perez, and composer Michael Gandolfi.

Kordis worked with the group Mi bemol, as the arranger and the piano player, performing tangos and the music of Astor Piazzolla mostly, in jazz clubs, such as Half Note, as well as in theaters, TV, festivals and tours all over Greece.

In December 1999, he won one of the two scholarships granted by the Ionian University in order to attend a summer course at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In the 2001, he established the piano trio TRIOTONE performing original compositions and standards all over Greece. At the same year, he performed with Orfeus Mammelo Gaitanopoulos and the guitarist Ofer Ganor. In 2002, Lefteris was the sole Greek student representative at the International Association of Jazz Schools (IASJ), which took place in Helsinki, Finland, under the direction of acclaimed saxophonist, David Liebman.  Quite recently, he performed with a NEC ensemble, which was led by the bassist Dave Holland performing merely his original compositions.