Yorgos Ziavras

Artistic Director - Conductor

BIO

Yorgos Ziavras (he/him) is a Greek conductor based in Cologne, Germany. After the completion of his architectural studies in Athens and conducting studies in Cologne, he has since embarked on an international career, aiming to make artistic choices that carry his distinct mark, continuously prioritizing the inherent values of musical dramaturgy and trying to disrupt and reform the perception of music as a seamless emotional experience for the public of tomorrow.

He is the founder of CoGNiMUS Collektiv (www.cognimus.de), a collective and orchestra based in Cologne. Beginning in 2015, CoGNiMUS has since designed and performed various experimental projects, always aiming at reshaping the way we absorb, understand, and experience live performances of classical music. In 2019, he and fellow specialists of contemporary music founded ÉRMA, a contemporary ensemble, ranking among the best in Germany.

Upcoming Events

MULTIMEDIA

Michalis Paraskakis · Limpid Water [2023] | Yorgos Ziavras · Ensemble TETTTIΞ

Despo, Paolo Carrer - Greek Dances, Nikos Skalkottas | GNO 2021

Sarah Nemtsov — Orpheus falling

MOIROLÓI | a Lament for the Living, based on Mozart’s Requiem KV 626

MEDIA QUOTES

  • "Yorgos Ziavras conducts with so much temperament that the baton flies out of his hand"

    Armin Kaumanns / Rheinische Post 2021

  • "Yorgos Ziavras possesses a theatrical instinct, and his vigorous conducting has a theatrical rhythm, successfully building the famous Rossinian crescendos. On a purely musical level, he draws out an exceptional performance from the Athens Municipality Orchestra, while accompanying the recitatives on the fortepiano with imagination and taste."

    Dimitris Kiousopoulos / Andro 2025

  • "The one who deserves the most credit, however, is maestro Yorgos Ziavras, who conducted the Athens Municipality Symphony Orchestra with passion, bringing an unexpected dynamism to the evening."

    Christos Paridis / LiFO 2024

  • "Ziavras gave the orchestra security and proved to be an interesting conductor...With the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, the conductor created a slender, eloquent sound"

    Ingo Starz / Online Merker, 2023

  • "Overall, the concert left excellent impressions on the quality of Ziavra's conducting... he seemed well informed on historical hermeneutics"

    Yannis Svolos / efsyn.gr 2023

  • "Ziavras was able to achieve great success with Liszt's music...In the purely orchestral pieces, the “Mephisto Waltz” and “Mazeppa”, Ziavras was able to combine the almost intoxicating moments of sound into powerful narratives. "

    Ingo Starz / OnlineMerker 2024

GET IN TOUCH

Associate to the Artistic Director

Jay Raissis

jay.raissis@gmail.com

For artistic inquires concerning CoGNiMUS and/or the Artistic Director email us at info@cognimus.de