GALAN TRIO

Known for the passionate and energetic spirit of their performances, the Athens-based Galan Trio is active both in Greece and internationally. Focused primarily on presenting new compositions, the trio creates original programs, the most recent being Kinesis. For this project, Galan Trio commissioned five distinguished composers from the United States to write works on this theme, leading to their first tour in October 2021. Since then, they have presented Kinesis at more than 30 U.S. universities, with additional performances scheduled through fall 2025.

Galan Trio’s discography now includes seven albums: Switch (Akanthos Int. LTD), Sonnets of Midwinter, Ararat (Melism Records), Kinesis and Kinesis Vol.2 (Neuma Records), De Chirico (Phasma Music), and Embrace (Neuma Records).

Their debut album, Switch—a musical blend of cultures featuring works composed for and dedicated to the trio by Thomas Bramel (USA), David Haladjian (Armenia), Vincent Kennedy (Ireland), Vasco Pereira (Portugal), Harald Weiss (Germany), and Nikos Xanthoulis (Greece) received critical acclaim and was broadcast on radio stations in Greece, Switzerland, the United States, Portugal, Germany, and Armenia.

In July 2016, the ensemble traveled to Gulangyu, China, known as "Piano Island" for Greek Inspirations in China, the first festival in the country dedicated to Greek music. Galan Trio has collaborated with accomplished composers and musicians, including mezzo-soprano Alexandra Gravas, flutist Jessica Quinones, and composers Dirk Brosse, Igor Vorobyov, Yiorgos Vassilandonakis, Paul Richards, Arthur Aharonian, Martin Gendelman, Philip Blackburn, Patricia Alessandrini, and Richard Lavenda, among others.

In 2019, the trio composed and recorded the original soundtrack for the documentary Y1: Silence of the Deep, directed by Philippos Vardakas. Schott Editions published Secret Dancing by Harald Weiss, dedicated to the trio. Galan Trio has performed in the USA, Spain, Italy, Armenia, the Netherlands, and Greece, appearing at prestigious events such as the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, the Komitas Festival, the 4th online festival of the Greek National Opera, the Onassis Foundation "Open Day", and the Athens Megaron "Music Portraits" series. In December 2021, they premiered their project Ararat at the Archaeological Museum of Athens. Recently they performed for the first time in Mozarteum as guests performers in "Mikrotöne:Small is Beautiful" Symposium in Salzburg.

Future plans include the project Women in Front in collaboration with "New York Women Composers Association", as well as the 9th edition of the Kinesis concert series in Tennessee.

Babis Karasavvidis

Babis Karasavvidis is a Greek violinist with an active presence in both orchestral and chamber music performance. He studied at the Glyfada Municipal Conservatory, graduating with First Prize and Gold Medal, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Indianapolis.

His musical development has been enriched through distinctions in international competitions in Paris, Cremona and Moscow, and collaborations with distinguished musicians and conductors across Europe. As a member of the prestigious European Union Youth Orchestra (2011–2013), he performed in renowned venues including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Vienna Konzerthaus, working under conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gianandrea Noseda, Thomas Søndergård, and Krzysztof Urbański.

Karasavvidis has appeared with Greece’s leading orchestras, including the Athens State Orchestra, ERT National Symphony Orchestra, and Camerata – Armonia Atenea. Since 2025, he has served as Permanent Associate Concertmaster of the First Violins of the Greek National Opera Orchestra.

Alongside his orchestral career, Karasavvidis is a member of the Galan Trio (since 2018), with which he has performed extensively in Greece, the United States, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, and Armenia, exploring a broad repertoire and fostering meaningful artistic collaborations.

Marina Kolovou

Marina Kolovou is a distinguished Greek cellist with an active international career as a founding member of the Galan Trio, an ensemble recognized for its artistic excellence, innovative programming, and appearances at prestigious concert venues, festivals, and universities across Europe, Asia, and North America.

She has been a member of the Greek National Opera Orchestra for more than fifteen years, serving for five years as Principal Cellist. Alongside her orchestral career, she has developed a distinguished presence as a chamber musician and soloist, performing throughout Europe, Asia, and North America and collaborating with leading conductors and artists. She has represented Greece in major international youth orchestras, including the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester.

As a member of the Galan Trio, Marina has participated in international tours, educational residencies, recordings, and premieres of contemporary works, helping to build one of Greece’s most active chamber ensembles. Critics have praised her artistry for its expressive depth and refinement. As music critic J. Svolos wrote, “Her playing was characterized by precision, sinewy but never too sharp articulation, purity of tone and a naturally singing coherence.” Through the Galan Trio, Marina has helped establish one of Greece’s leading chamber ensembles on the international stage.

Petros Bouras

Petros Bouras is a pianist, composer, and chamber musician born in Athens. He has performed extensively across Europe, the USA, China, Jordan, and Ivory Coast, appearing as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in major venues including the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), Palais des Beaux-Arts (Brussels), Mozarteum (Salzburg), Alter Oper (Frankfurt), Theater Basel, CCRMA at Stanford, and the Onassis Stegi. In 2016, he became the first Greek pianist to perform on Gulangyu, China’s renowned “piano island.”

Committed to exploring diverse musical genres, Bouras has collaborated with film composer Shigeru Umebayashi, conductor Dominique Brosse, mezzo-soprano Alexandra Gravas, and American tango flutist Jessica Quiñones. He is a member of the acclaimed Greek band StarWound and of the Galan Trio, whose project “Kinesis” has toured 48 cities in the United States and whose recordings are released by Neuma Records.

Alongside his concert career, Bouras composes for theatre and film. His recent collaborations include productions with Gintersdorfer/Klaßen at Theater Basel, Marcel Schwald’s “Money Piece I” in Switzerland, and Elli Papakonstantinou’s “Holy Bitch” (2025), presented in Athens and Berlin. He has also performed with the Ballet of the Greek National Opera.