Zach Tarpagos is recognized as one of the leading flutists of his generation. Born in Greece in 1983, he studied Music at the Aristoteles' University of Thessaloniki and Flute Performance at the Greek Conservatory of Athens with Nikos Nikopoulos, before furthering his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he gained a Masters of Music in Performance with Michael Cox, and at the Strasbourg Conservatory, where he studied with Mario Caroli.
As a soloist, Tarpagos has appeared in important venues around the world including the Boston Symphony Hall and Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall and Duke’s Hall in London, with the Togliatti Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Aleksey Vorontsov at the Togliatti Philharmonic Hall in Russia, and in Greece at the Megaron Concert Hall and Stegi the Onassis Cultural Foundation.
He is permanent co-principal member of the National Opera House in Greece and a permanent collaborator with the fast rising period instrument orchestra Armonia Atenea, with which he has repeatedly appeared as a soloist under the baton of George Petrou. Tarpagos has also collaborated with renowned conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy and Theodore Kourentzis.
With Armonia Atenea, Zach Tarpagos has been the principal flutist for the orchestra’s recent recordings with Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Classics, and for its European performances in Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Chateau de Versailles, Metz, Monte Carlo, Bordeaux, Brussels, Karlsruhe, and Istanbul, with the highlight orchestra’s debut performance at the BBC Proms in London. "... He brought an otherworldliness to the Dance of the Blessed Spirits…" Nahoko Gotoh, Bachtrack for BBC Proms.
Future plans include solo performances with with Armonia Atenea in Athens and in Salzburg Festival.
Tarpagos’ chamber music activity expands all across Europe and the Far East with recent highlights his recitals at Blue Rose Hall at Suntory Hall in Tokyo with pianist Panos Karan. He is also a keen advocate of contemporary music and he has collaborated with distinguished ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern, presenting Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and the Lutoslawski Quartet, presenting music by Hosokawa in Poland and Athens. Recent activities include his participation in the International Computer Music Conference and Stockhausen Open Day in Athens and the world premiere of Andreas Tsiartas’ Taqsimi for an Armenian Lamento for the Pharos Arts Foundation in Cyprus.
Zach Tarpagos deeply believes that music can make this world a better place, improving the lives of children and youth around the world through music education and access to live performances of classical music. He is a proud trustee and active member of Keys of Change - a charity organisation promoting the performance of music as one of the simplest yet strongest ways for individuals around the world to build bridges for peace and to make a positive social change. (
www.keysofchange.org)
www.zachflute.com
REVIEWS
"... He brought an otherworldliness to the" Dance of the Blessed Spirits "..."
Nahoko Gotoh, Bachtrack for BBC Proms
“…the great performer impressed with his clear sound, the incredible speed of his fingers and expressiveness. He turned out to be a real virtuoso…”
Chrysa Strogili, bookpress.gr
"... With wonderful delicacy ... maintained excellent control in the quiet and withdrawn cantilena ..."
Curtis Rogers, classical source for BBC Proms
"... Thanks to the poetic flute of Zacharias Tarpagkos ..."
Nick Dontas, Kathimerini
“The second suite, while seamlessly performed by Armonia Atenea, was essentially transformed into a display of virtuosity – not in the least becoming an end in itself – simply because of the high performance level of soloist Zach Tarpagos in flute traverso, who was justifiably applauded by the audience.”
Thanos Mantzanas, Music Paper