Nikos Syropoulos is an award-winning pianist, composer, and teacher based in Portland, OR. A three-time recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award, Nikos has gained national recognition for his original music and has toured internationally. He is the leader of the jazz chamber ensemble, Rozalía, and has independently released six albums. Named in honor of his late Greek grandmother, Rozalía features Nikos’ original compositions written for piano and strings, drawing upon his main musical influences, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Keith Jarrett, and Egberto Gismonti.

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Nikos is a certified instructor of the Taubman Approach to piano, a comprehensive study of alignment and movement at the instrument that supports overcoming injury and technical limitations. He came to the approach following his own playing-related injuries in 2009 and began studying with his mentor, Robert Durso, a master Taubman teacher and co-founder/senior director of the Golandsky Institute. He is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music where he received his bachelor’s degree in jazz piano performance.

 

Nature plays a large part in influencing Nikos’ music, and in 2017 he created a music video series entitled, Looking Up at Trees to explore this connection. Looking Up at Trees is an ever-growing collection of short, beautiful videos of trees, accompanied by original musical vignettes inspired by each individual species. 

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Nikos thrives working collaboratively with other artists, including those in other media such as dance, theater, and film. In 2013 he composed and produced the music for the original dance performance, Gone, choreographed by and featuring tap dancer, Melinda Sullivan. The work saw its premiere in New York City at the Alvin Ailey Citi Group Theater. From 2015-2017 Nikos and Melinda continued their collaboration, creating Portrait of Rhythm, a project featuring Nikos’ original compositions for Rozalía and tap dance, fusing chamber jazz with traditional South American and Spanish rhythms. Nikos is currently working on a duo album for cello and piano featuring cellist, Hillary Smith, to be released in 2023.