Musical Selection: Lefteris with Turkish Ensemble Orchestra Keyif Selection No. 8  "Rast Cifteteli" 

Lefteris Bournias has been a clarinetist since the age of 11.  While a young child, he remembers sitting on his father’s lap (Elias Bournias, a Greek flogera player) and, under the direction of his father, he would bang out rhythms on pillows while listening to Turkish and Greek night club music.  When a few years had elapsed and now living in Greece, Lefteris’ interest in music was still very strong.  Only it was Classic Rock and the bands of the 70’s and not the music he would later grow to love and perform.  One evening in Athens, while his father was in New York, Lefteris was with his mother, talking and looking at a magazine with electric guitars and electric basses.  He then asked his mother, “Mom, can you buy this guitar for me?”  While his mother was hesitant at first, she conceded but also offered the idea “Hey, why don’t you get a clarinet instead and make your father happy.”  And Lefteris thought “Clarinet!!! What are you talking about?”  It had been some time since his involvement with music that wasn’t rock.  But almost like a bolt of lightening, the idea stayed with him and that summer he bought his first clarinet.

Musical Selection: “ Analambi (Third Movement)  ”

A composition composed by Sofoklis Papavasiliou for String Quartet and Greek Clarinet dedicated to Lefteris Bournias.  This is a live performance at Merkin Hall, NY.

Lefteris was fortunate to live near a famous gypsy clarinetist, Mr. Vasilis Soukas, and he soon frequented his house for lessons while attending the Athens Conservatory of Music under the guidance of clarinetist Mr. Farandatos.  While returning to New York with his family, Lefteris attended the Aaron Copeland School of Music earning a B.A. in Performance, and a Masters of Science in Music Education and attempted a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology (still pending!).  Throughout his studies, Lefteris has been performing extensively.  So extensively, that at times he would perform two and even three performances daily for weeks on end.

A rendition of Duke Ellington performed by Lefteris Bournias and Virtuoso Pianist and Composer Spiros Cardamis (link to  website).

Lefteris has performed and recorded with many highly acclaimed singers and musicians, amongst them, , The New York Pops (under the direction of Skitch Henderson), New York Philarmonic, En hordes, Uri Cane, Charles Genus, Henry Hay, Matt Garisson, Gene Lake, Charles Blesing,Steve Haas, Elektra Ensemble, Nikos and Giasemi Saragoudas, Spiros Exaras Band, Avram Pengas Noga Group, Ara Dinkjian, Uri Yunakoff, Omar Faruk Tekbelik, Okay Temiz, Selim Sesler ,Takis Zaharatos, Hristos Antoniadis, Stathis Aggelopoulos, Eleni Legaki, Nikos Hatzopoulos, Makis Hristodoulopoulos, Pitsa Papadopoulou, Peggy Zina, Doukissa and many more.

 As a diverse musician, Lefteris’ style combines Greek traditional, Gypsy, Classical, Turkish Gypsy, and elements of Jazz (rhythmical and harmonic).

With a special sound that eminates from his clarinet, he is a wanted man in the recording field and in live festivals, gigs, etc.