Multiwind performer and composer Demetrius Spaneas was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on January 14, 1969. His father, George, was a prominent businessman, and his mother, Helen, a chemistry teacher with a strong love of music, which she passed to her son. He attended bilingual classes at the Hellenic-American School (now the Hellenic Academy) in Lowell through 6th grade; it was here that he was first exposed to Greek folk music and dance and Orthodox Church music--all of which would have a lasting impact on his creativity. It was also during this time that he began private music lessons on guitar, under the tutalage of Chris Powers, a local musician and band leader, and began studying painting with Janet Lambert Moore. It was not until his attendence at Moody Jr. High in Lowell that he found his 'true voice' of expression with the tenor saxophone, under the tutalage of Vito Selvaggio. He also continued his artistic studies, as well.
It was during his high school years at Lowell High (graduating class of 1987) that his concept of music truly matured. He expanded his wind playing, first including baritone sax and bass clarinet, then later others; he continued his string instrument playing by switching from guitar to bass and playing in numerous jazz and rock groups. It was also during this period that his interest in composition began to emerge; first by writing arrangements for school ensembles, then by writing original compositions for them, including a piece for full concert band. He began intensive saxophone studies at the University of Lowell (now University of Massachusetts at Lowell) under Tom Ferrante, who was his first major teacher. He also took courses in Theoretical Studies at the University.
During his senior year the important decision was made to major in Classical Performance, rather than jazz. With direction from Mr. Ferrante, Demetrius auditioned for and was accepted to the New England Conservatory as a classical saxophone major, studying with Ken Radnofsky, who also had Demetrius work on solo pieces for the clarinet and orchestral music for the bass clarinet. He continued his jazz studies with Jimmy Giuffre, and began formal composition studies with John Heiss, and later electronic music studies with Robert Ceely. His time at the Conservatory was filled with incredible experiences: masterclasses and lectures with the world's top classical and jazz musicians, and exposure to new and exciting concepts. It was his first semester Music History class in which he first heard the music of Charles Ives, which was to be a major factor in the direction his creativity would take. One of his major formative experiences was working and recording with John Cage, which had profound influence. He was also a member of the award winning Jupiter Saxophone Quartet, which was the first saxophone ensemble to be awarded the title Honors Chamber Ensemble. He was also president of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia for two years, and helped to reinstate this Chapter at the Conservatory. He graduated in 1991.
He decided to change his environment and attend Arizona State University. This was a period of both personal and artistic uncertainty, yet of major growth. Having begun graduate studies as a saxophone major, he was unable to complete coursework and lessons after contracting spinal meningitis, which made performing difficult, if not almost impossible, for an extended period. Undaunted, he switched to the graduate program in Theoretical Studies and began composition studies with Chinary Ung, whose concepts and philosophy had a great impact on the young artist.
After a couple of years and feeling healthy and revitalized, he decided to move back to Boston and transfered back to the New England Conservatory. He entered the graduate program in Performance, dividing his time equally between saxophone and clarinet. He also studied film composition with Robert Ceely and started to expand his musical horizons by playing in world music groups, most notably the Jewish Music Ensemble, and becoming more involved in experimental music. He began teaching at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division in 1994, an affiliation that he continues to have, teaching classical and jazz performance, chamber music, jazz ensembles, and classes in jazz history and composition. He graduated in 1996.
The next years brought tremendous professional experience. He became the top on-call classical saxophonist in New England, playing with the Boston Philharmonic (with which he was guest soloist three times), the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Portland (Maine) Symphony, and almost every other professional orchestra in the area. He was also a frequent performer with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra (where he was also guest soloist). He would be seen playing clarinet and bass clarinet in orchestras even more frequently--experiences that he cherished, believing that on those instruments, one is 'part of the ensemble', rather than an 'occasional star'. His interest in new and experimental music brought him into the ranks of the Auros Group for New Music, as well as being the clarinetist and saxophonist for the Harvard Group for New Music and the Brandeis Composers Orchestra. He also began commisioning new works and recording the music of living composers, including John Harbison, Gunther Schuller, and Roscoe Mitchell, among others. He also began lecturing on contemporary concepts in performance and composition at many top institutions, including New England Conservatory, Harvard University, the Hartt School, the California Institiute for the Arts, Tanglewood, and others. These were experiences which brought him much critical acclaim as a champion of new music.
During this time, he also had an equally fulfilling commercial music career. He has enjoyed the experiences of playing with some of the top popular artists of our time, including Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Three Dog Night, Dionne Warwick, James Ingrham, Geoffrey Osbourne, Bernedete Peters, Jerry Vale, Peabo Bryson, Al Martino, Sheena Easton, Joan Osbourne, Denise Williams, Phil Bailey, and many others. This aspect of his career culminated in a year and a half stint with the Funk Brothers of Motown fame. He also had an extensive career playing in many commercial recording sessions and pit orchestras, both in Boston and New York. It was also during this time that he began serious study on the flute.
From his interest in music from the Balkans and Near East, Demetrius formed the ensemble BALKANASIA, which takes traditional music from this area and combines it with American musical forms, such as jazz and rock. Demetrius' vision for this unique world music ensemble was to be a creative vehicle of cultural confluence. The ensemble had its debut on March 3rd, 2005 at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall.
In realizing a long-held dream, Demetrius eventually released two solo recordings, the first entitled When Wind Comes to Sparse Bamboo. This CD features the unaccompanied works of Bach, Britten, Debussy, Joan Tower, Bernard Rands, Donald Martino, Vincent Persichetti, Sean Heim, and an arrangement of Gregorian Chant. This recording was released in Fall 2003 on Capstone Records. His second CD, From a Far-off World, was released on Capstone Records in May, 2006 and contains new electroacoustic works for solo saxophone and bass clarinet by Jane Brockman, Sean Heim, Shaun Naidoo, and himself. This CD also contains the cover design and artwork by friend Robert Tighe.
In July 2006, Demetrius moved to New York City. This was a wonderful period of renewal, both in performance and composition. He quickly entered into the new music scene, and performed with such groups as Forecast Music, Percussia, the Composers Collaborative, the Long Island Composers Allience (as guest soloist) and his own Sapphire Ensemble, which he co-directs with pianist Elaine Kwon. He also had the opportunity to work with many individual composers, including Denise Broadhurst, Charles Griffin, Christopher Kaufmann, William Susman (California), and Molly Thompson. It was also at this time that he decided to focus exclusively on classical and contemporary music performance and his own composition (which had been neglected for quite some time); although he enjoyed the experiences as a commercial and pop musician, his goals began to lie elsewhere. With renwed vigor in his composing, Demetrius' writing output increased exponentially and his works started to be performed at major venues and festivals accross the United States. In 2007, he became Composer-in-Residence with the Bay Area Chamber Symphony in Oakland, California, and has also been composing for such diverse mediums as chamber music and film. His interest in world music also began expand, in particular incorperating world music elements and instruments, including flutes from various cultures, into his conceptual universe.
Always a dedicated teacher, he held numerous adjunct posts at various colleges, universities, and schools of music from the time he was 25, and a private studio since his udrgraduate days. He continues to be affiliated with both New England Conservatory and Northeastern University, and has kept a thriving private studio, both in Boston and New York City.
Currently, we find Demetrius having just moved overseas and living in St. Petersburg, Russia with his wife Margaret. During the 2007-08 season, Demetrius will be presenting concerts, lectures, and at festivals as both a performer and composer, throughout Europe and Asia. The scope of this massive project keeps expanding, and updates will be included on this website. Demetrius' goal is to build connections between artists and audiences of various cultures and to create a dialogue that will be the basis for ongoing artistic collaborations for years to come.