Camerata Polyzoides

The Camerata Polyzoides was founded in 1979 by the artist couple Christos and Katherina Polyzoides. Today the ensemble consists of the five members of the Polyzoides family (until 2009 with the cellist Martin Hornstein, who passed away unexpectedly). This allows for a wide range of instrument combinations. Besides the standard chamber music repertoire, many renowned contemporary composers wrote for the Camerata Polyzoides: Christian Ofenbauer (CDs), Erich Marckhl, Hermann Markus Preßl (CD), Klaus Johns (in total 13 works, CDs), Vit Zouhar (CD), Helmut Dencker, Gösta Neuwirth, Yannis Xenakis, Nikos Skalkottas, Zbigniew Bargielski and Claudio Santoro (CD).

The Camerata Polyzoides recently performed in Spain (several concert-tours), in the Czech Republic (Janačék-Akademie Brno, Festival Forfest Kroměří�, Radio Olomouc), in Austria (Festival “Hörgänge” Konzerthaus Vienna, piano & forte ORF Salzburg, Austrian Society of Music, Franz Schmidt-Society), in Croatia (Festival Opatija), in Greece (Festival “Dimitria” and Festival “Hellexpo” Thessaloniki, Festival Paros), in Germany (“KundK” Geseke, Rüthen Castle), in the Sultanate Oman (Muscat) and in China (several concert-tours).

The Camerata Polyzoides is giving master classes every summer at the 49th Internationale Musiktage in Rohrbach-Berg, Böhmerwald (Upper Austria) for violinists, violists, cellists, pianists and chamber music in 2022 from July 17th to 30st.  (www.internationale-musiktage.com)

Many CD recordings have been made by the members of the Camerata Polyzoides, 2006 a double CD with 13 works by Klaus Johns (Extraplatte).

Christos Polyzoides – violin, viola

was born 30.1.1931 in Greece and studied in Thessaloniki with Athanasios Theophanous and with Alexandros Kazantzis and at the University of Music Vienna with Ernst Morawec. He was concertmaster of the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra and the Collegium Musicum Instrumentale. Since 1968 professor at the University of Music in Graz, 1999 he became a professor emeritus. Countless concert tours as a soloist and chamber music player, as well as recordings for radio and television took him (mostly with his wife Katherina and the Camerata Polyzoides) to almost every country in East and West Europe as well as to South America, China and Taiwan. Various first performances and CD recordings of contemporary music partially dedicated to him: 2006 a double CD of 13 solo and chamber music works by the composer Klaus Johns (Extraplatte). In 1991 he was awarded the Great Medal of Honour of the county of Styria/Austria. In 1999 the Mayor of the City of Graz, in 2006 the city of Thessalonica and in 2011 the University of Music in Graz honoured his musical and educational achievements. Christos Polyzoides played an Italian violin by Giovanni Grancino, Milano, c. 1700. (www.internationale-musiktage.com)
Christos Polyzoides died on 2nd of July 2019 in Graz.

Katherina Polyzoides-Sourvali – piano

was born in Thessalonica where she studied piano with Vasso Devetzi, Kiki Manou-Stavrou, Athanasios Kontos and chamber music with Alexandros Kazantzis and Dimitris Georgiou. Final examination for music education and diploma for solo piano (3rd place in the All-Greece Piano Competition). Further piano studies with Margarete Gelbart and Tonis Georgiou as well as with Dr. Josef Dichler and Walter Panhofer at the University of Music in Vienna. Cembalo studies with Eta Harich-Schneider and Vera Schwarz. In 1963 she began teaching piano at the University of Music Graz, a position she held until 1990. As a soloist and ensemble musician, mainly with her husband Christos and the Camerata Polyzoides, she has played in many European cities as well as in Brazil, China and Taiwan. Various CD recordings of contemporary music, most recently a double CD of 13 solo and chamber music works by the composer Klaus Johns (Extraplatte 2006). In 1999 the Mayor of the City of Graz and in 2006 the city of Thessalonica honoured her musical and educational achievements.
In 2000 she published her master’s thesis “Once upon a time. On the importance of folk songs and dances in the community life of the Greeks – yesterday and today”. Furthermore, in 2014 she published her doctoral thesis “Vasso Devetzi and her legacy” at the University of Art in Graz.
(www.internationale-musiktage.com)

Elisabeth Polyzoides-Baich – violin

was born in Graz and studied at the University of Music in Graz with Christos Polyzoides and in Vienna with Franz Samohyl. Master classes with Max Rostal, Ramy Shevelov, Arthur Grumiaux and Wolfgang Marschner. Her professional career included working with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra (substitute concertmaster), the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Kollegium Munich and the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss. Since 1989 she is a member of the first violin section of the Gürzenich Orchestra (Cologne Philharmonic). She has performed in nearly all European countries, America, Japan and China. She is a founder member of the Cologne String Sextet. Many of their CD releases have been voted amongst the Top Ten of the Nederland “NMZ” and the German “Phonoforum”. For over 20 years she has been teaching at nternational master classes, e.g. the Internationale Musiktage Bad Leonfelden in Upper Austria and since 2008 in Plovdiv and Shiroka Lukka in Bulgaria at the Orpheus Academy. Since 2009 she is in charge of the Preparational Class of further studies at the Rheinische Musikschule Cologne. Elisabeth Polyzoides-Baich plays an Italian violin by Francesco Gobetti, Venice, c. 1740. (www.koelner-streichsextett.de)

Demetrius Polyzoides – violin, viola

son of the musician couple Katherina and Christos Polyzoides, he was born in Graz and studied at the University of Music in Graz with Harald Himmel. Later he continued his studies in Vienna with Franz Samohyl (violin) and Hatto Beyerle (viola). Master classes with Arthur Grumiaux, Christian Ferras, Wolfgang Marschner and Max Rostal. Concertmaster of the Bavarian National Orchestra in Munich, the Hamburg Symphonic and the Gürzenich Orchestra (Cologne Philharmonic). From 1995-97 first violinist of the Leonardo Quartet in Cologne (CDs). Since 1997 he is the first violinist and founder member of the Cologne String Sextet. Their CD releases have been voted amongst the Top Ten of the Nederland “NMZ” and the German “Phonoforum”. As soloist and ensemble musician he has played all over Europe and Asia. He also performed on radio and television. Among many other CDs he also recorded Six Sonates pour un violon seul op. 27 by Eugène Ysaÿe and most recently released 3 CDs with J. S. Bachs Sonatas and Partitas combined with the 24 Capricci by Paganini. Demetrius Polyzoides plays an Italian violin by Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Brescia, c. 1630. (www.koelner-streichsextett.de)

Michael Polyzoides – violoncello

Son of the musician couple Elisabeth and Demetrius Polyzoides, he was born 1993 in Graz, Austria. Since 2011 he is performing with the Camerata Polyzoides, being their youngest member. He completed his studies with Prof. Michael Sanderling and Bonian Tian with honors as well as chamber music with his piano partner James Guey with Prof. Angelika Merkle. Other influential teachers were Heinrich Schiff, Han-An Liu and David Geringas. He received numerous prizes, including the Martin Hornstein Interpretation Prize, the 1st national Prize of the german competition “Jugend Musiziert”, the honorary prize at the international chamber music festival “Allegro Vivo” and he was the winner of the 23rd competition of the German Foundation Musikleben, so that he was given a cello by G. Guadagnini (ca. 1780).
As a soloist he has played with the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the orchestra “Il Concerto accademico”, Murcia, the Loh-Orchester Sondershausen, the orchestra of the Stadttheather Bremerhaven as well as various youth and project orchestras. In addition to solo projects, he is dedicated to contemporary music and chamber music. Since 2020, he is a member of the Gürzenich-Orchestra Cologne. Before, he was a cellist of the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra and has been a lecturer for cello and chamber music at the Internationale Musiktage Rohrbach-Berg, Böhmerwald (Upper Austria) since 2017.
He has given concerts as a soloist and chamber musician in the Cologne Philharmonie, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Bismarck-Hall of the WDR, Wiener Musikverein, Gasteig München, Konzerthaus Wien, as well as in Greece, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Spain and China.
His concerts were broadcast on German, Austrian, Greek and Czech TV and radio.

Janna Polyzoides – piano

daughter of the musician couple Christos and Katherina Polyzoides, she was born in Graz and lives in Vienna. She studied with Sebastian Benda at the University of Music in Graz. Additional influential teachers were Rudolf Kehrer, Alexander Jenner and György Kurtág. Numerous appearances at festivals, such as Wien modern, the Menuhin festival in Gstaad, the “styriarte” festival in Graz and the Wiener Festwochen. She has been invited to perform at many concert halls such as the Cologne Philharmony, Wigmore Hall London, Warsaw Philharmony, Konzerthaus Vienna and Musikverein Vienna, Mozarteum Salzburg (2007 with the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss). As a chamber musician she has regularly performed as a founder member of the Arcus Ensemble Wien. Among her chamber music partners also have been artists like Daniel Sepec, Ernst Kovacic, Rainer Honeck, Erich Höbarth, François Benda, Christophe Coin and members of Artis-, Aron-, Gürzenich-Quartet, Klangforum Vienna and the Cologne String Sextet.
Until now the musical work of Janna Polyzoides has been documented on 38 solo and chamber music CDs, some of these award-winning. (www.jannapolyzoides.com)

Related link: www.koelner-streichsextett.de