Quattro Echo
13 August 2026 – Quattro Echo String Quartet
Quattro Echo is a string quartet officially founded in 2025, consisting of violinists Thanasis Kouimtzoglou and Nektarios Lanaras, violist Raphael Kontogouris, and cellist Alexandros Sioupoulis.
The members of the ensemble have previously collaborated in a wide range of musical settings, both orchestral and chamber music, while each of them has developed a distinct artistic path and a remarkable trajectory within the field of classical music.
Quattro Echo has already made its first appearances, performing concerts at the War Museum of Athens and the Garden of the Presidential Mansion in Athens.
The ensemble’s artistic vision focuses on the interpretation of works from different historical periods, with particular emphasis on the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries. Quattro Echo seeks to highlight contemporary compositional trends, innovative performance techniques, and the full expressive potential of the modern string quartet.
The Artists
Thanasis Kouimtzoglou – Violin
Thanasis Kouimtzoglou began his musical studies at the age of six and completed his violin education at the Municipal Conservatory of Korydallos, where he received his Violin Diploma with unanimous distinction and First Prize (class of Giorgos Mandylas), as well as a Harmony Diploma with distinction (class of Antonis Antonopoulos).
Alongside his musical studies, he holds a degree from the Department of Management Science and Technology of the Athens University of Economics and Business.
He is an active extra member of the Athens State Orchestra, the ERT National Symphony Orchestra, the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra, and the Philarmonia Orchestra of Athens, participating in concerts at major venues such as the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, the Athens Conservatoire, and the Cultural and Conference Centre of Heraklion, as well as in numerous recordings and audiovisual productions.
He is also an active member of the Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO), with appearances in internationally renowned concert halls including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, as well as at the Athens Concert Hall.
Nektarios Lanaras – Violin
Nektarios Lanaras is a graduate violinist, holding diplomas in violin, harmony, and counterpoint. In January 2023, he completed his violin diploma studies at the “En Organois” Conservatory, under the guidance of Franc Shestani. He has extensive orchestral experience as a member, principal violinist, and soloist with the Nina Patrikidou Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra, while he has also participated in its chamber music ensembles.
He has been a member of the Athens Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASON), concertmaster of the Underground Youth Orchestra (UYO), and a member of the Chamber Orchestra of the Department of Music Studies, the Atticus Ensemble, and the Greek-German Youth Orchestra. He is an active member of Collegium Musicum Athens, a guest collaborator of the Athens Philharmonia Orchestra, and has participated in productions of the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra.
He has attended violin masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Vilmos Olah, Ariadni Daskalaki, Franc Shestani, and Simos Papanas. He teaches violin and chamber music at Artium School of Music and Dance, the Athena Conservatory, and the “En Organois” Conservatory.
Raphael Kontogouris – Viola
Raphael Kontogouris is a graduate of the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University, specializing in viola performance. He holds degrees in viola, harmony, counterpoint, and fugue, while continuing his studies in composition.
Since 2021, he has been pursuing a PhD dissertation entitled “Interpretative Approaches to Solo Viola Works of the Second Half of the 20th Century”, focusing on compositional analysis and the development of informed interpretative approaches.
He collaborates with the ERT National Symphony Orchestra, the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra, and the Philarmonia Orchestra of Athens, while actively participating in chamber music ensembles.
Alongside his performing career, he teaches viola at the Music School of Drama and is engaged in musicological research.
Alexandros Sioupoulis – Violoncello
Alexandros Sioupoulis (Athens, 2002) is a cellist who completed his studies at the Athens Conservatoire in 2021, obtaining his Diploma with unanimous distinction and First Prize (class of Vangelis Nina). He began his musical education on the piano at the age of six and continued with the cello from the age of eleven.
He has participated in numerous orchestral ensembles, including the Camerata Junior of the Athens Concert Hall, the Athens Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, the Athens Municipal Mandolin Orchestra, and the Philarmonia Orchestra of Athens. He has appeared as a soloist with the Athens Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens, while he is also active in chamber music performances and has participated in concerts and festivals in Greece and abroad.
He has received distinctions in national music competitions, including the First Prize of the “Dimitris Mitropoulos” Competition (2023), as well as awards in competitions organized by UNESCO and other institutions. He has attended cello masterclasses with internationally acclaimed cellists such as Benedict Kloeckner, Martin Ostertag, Laurentiu Sbarcea, Timora Rosler, and Denis Severin.
He is a member of the Young Soloists of the Gina Bachauer International Music Association and participates in the organization’s artistic activities. He holds a degree from the Department of Library, Archival and Information Systems of the University of West Attica and a Master’s degree in Cultural Organization Management.
Since 2022, he has been studying classical cello performance at the Goldsmith College of Athens on scholarship. He is also the founder and conductor of the University of West Attica Choir.
