Alexander Grek (1876-1959)

Alexander Grek was a modest nad beloved personality, who honor through his music, Corfu and the civilization of the island. He was close to teh Philarmonic Mantzaros as during his days there was created in the Philarmonic the choir section, with a special success. Nowadays trhere are many that remember him, too old, to elevate Mantzaros steps in order to devote to his piano.

Grek was a real musician and he remain one to his end. He study music at he great Concervatorium of Napoli as many other corfiots musicians and there he give a sign of his excellent talent in composing and playing piano. Borned in COrfu on 1876, he followed from his early age the way of music. He not only studied in Napoli, but he also taught there as a professor for two years. He returned at Greece, he taught at Athens Music School and a litle later he went in Egypt, a city which was influenced a lot by the greek culture. Since 1910 Grek with his beloved woman, maria Agiovlasiti, remain in Egypt for forty years. Approximately in 1950 he decided to return in Corfu in order to give his knowledge to the young studetns of music there. During the 1950 decade, the operetes of Grek ("I Thitsa Mas", and his beloved "Myriella") were performed and the audience was really enthousiastic.

Grek's life was spotted by the loss of his beloved wife, on 1936, to remain untill his death alone, with a sad expression on his face. But in contrast to this, he never stopped to compose works of great extend. " Androniki, Nanuelita, Seleukos, I Thitsa Mas, Sechrazat, Dance of the Silfides, Spitha, Carmelitsa, Marcia Santa, Miriela" at all these works Grek's music characteristics remain the same. At all of them you can find grek, beautiful and convuincing at every music picture that he discrubes through his music. In his works is described every hcaravcteristic of Grek's idiosyncrasy. Opera, synfonical poem, operete, triumphal march, funeral march come all spontaneously throug the Grek's pen.

Till his last days grek was an unshakeable musician, faithful artist with inexhaustible inspiration and a fantastic creativity. His faith for music gave him the power to avoid the influence of money. Grek held gloriously the flag of the corfiot art traditions. He left our world on October of 1959, causing an a sence of a great loss to the Corfiot music audience.
On October of 1959, Corfu says goodbye to Alexander Grek. The last of the great generation of musicians and composers that started with Nikolaos Chalikiopoulos Mantzaros.