Adrien Tsilogiannis

Born in 1982 in Brussels, Adrien Tsilogiannis is a composer and a cellist.

Adrien studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where he successively obtained a first prize certificate in music theory (2001 with André Colson), a higher degree in specialized music theory (2002, with Michel Lysight), a first prize certificate in chamber music (2003 with André Siwy), a first prize certificate in cello (2003, with Marie Hallynck) and a master’s degree in cello with distinction (2006, with Marie Hallynck). He obtained a teacher accreditation for cello in 2008 and a pedagogical master’s degree in musical training in 2010.

In 2010, besides his occupation as an instrumentalist and teacher, Adrien Tsilogiannis also obtained a master’s degree in composition and orchestration with Daniel Capelletti. And in 2014, he obtained a complementary master's degree in composition with the Belgian composer Peter Swinnen.

He had the opportunity to collaborate with, and have his works premiered by various ensembles : the Brussels Philharmonic, the Oxalys Ensemble, the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra – BPhO, the Sturm und Klang Ensemble, the Musiques Nouvelles ensemble, the Odysseia Ensemble, the Quartetto Prometeo, I Solisti del Vento, the Trio Kelitrei, the In & Out ensemble, the Quatuor Hinémoa, the Quatuor Amôn, the New Gates Trio.​

He has received several distinctions for his works : Sabam award for Brumalia (2012), the Emile Agniez-Prize for Ophélie (2013), Composition Prize of MusMA (Festivals of Walloon Brabant) for Attrait de la Mer et des Racines (2014), Prize of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Irruptions, éruptions, interruptions (2014), Second Prize at the "Egidio Carella – Val Tidone" Composition Competition for Imperscrutable Appel (2014), Prize at the International Composition Competition of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos de Valencia for Apoptosis (2011, rev. 2015), Second Prize at the First International Composition Competition "Music and Nature" of Sassello for Impression (2016), the Irène Fuerison-Prize of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Jarres ointes de songe (2016), the Marcel Hastir-Prize of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Retable à Louise Bourgeois (2016).

Adrien Tsilogiannis reached the finals of the Young Composers' Forum TACTUS in 2011, during which his work Yoctodôme (2010) was performed by the Brussels Philharmonic led by Michel Tabachnik in Flagey's well-known Studio 4. Moreover, he had the chance to take part in master classes by renowned composers such as Michel Tabachnik, Julian Anderson, Jean-Paul Dessy, Claude Ledoux, Bruno Mantovani, Augusta Read Thomas, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Luc Van Hove and Peter Swinnen.

He is laureate 2012 of the SPES Foundation giving him the opportunity to attend international courses for composition : ARAM (Poitou, France) in 2012 with Peter Swinnen and Dr. Richard Whalley, SYNTHETIS (Radziejowice, Poland) in 2014 with Zygmunt Krauze, Paul Patterson, Alessandro Solbiati, Chen Yi and Pawel Hendrich, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena, Italy) in 2014 with Salvatore Sciarrino.

Adrien Tsilogiannis' works rely on drama rather than program; his musical imagination is fed by a wealth of inspiring influences. For instance, he likes to base his compositions on psychological drifts (Frénésie Suicidaire, 2006), on philosophical issues like the infinitesimally small (Yoctodôme, 2010), or on the latest discoveries about biochemical microcosms (Apoptosis, 2011, rev. 2015). However, he has also often been inspired by literary works, like J.R.R. Tolkien's (De la Lugubre Incantation, 2005), Alexandre Blok's (Deux Cités Déchues, 2008), Maurice Maeterlinck's (Entase, 2011), and drew inspiration from the poet and thinker Serge Venturini (Filante, attirante... de l'inaccompli, 2012), Arthur Rimbaud (Ophélie, 2013), Paul Verlaine (Verlaine au secret, 2014).​

He teaches cello at the Academy of Schaerbeek (since 2020), teaches cello at the Academy of Etterbeek (2006 to 2020), teaches musical training at the Music Academy of Schaerbeek (from 2007 to 2017). Since 2017, he is teaching assistant of Analysis-Harmony at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.