Arghýris Kounádis was a Greek classical pianist and composer of classical, easy listening, music for theatre & films, and professor of music. Born 14 or 20 February 1924 in Constantinople, Turkey - Died 22 November 2011 in Freiburg, Germany.
He received his early musical education in Athens, Greece, where he studied piano at the Athens Conservatory receiving a diploma in piano in 1952. He pursued advanced music theory and composition at the Greek Conservatory (also known as the Hellenic Conservatory). In 1958, he relocated to West Germany on a scholarship from the Ίδρυμα Κρατικών Υποτροφιών (Ι.Κ.Υ.) (= State Scholarships Foundation) to pursue postgraduate studies in composition and orchestral conducting at the . Following his earlier musical training in Athens, he studied composition there from 1958 to 1962, while also receiving instruction in conducting. In 1961, he took part in the International Competition of the Contemporary Music Society in Cologne with success. Upon completing his studies in 1962, he settled permanently in Freiburg, establishing his residence in the city where he would spend most of his life. He was appointed professor of Music Theory and Ear Training at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in 1963, a position he held until 1989. This followed his studies at the same institution from 1958 to 1962. He became the leader (Leiter) of the Ensemble Für Neue Musik Freiburg from 1963, concurrently with his appointment at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. Some sources indicate that he founded the ensemble during his years in Freiburg. From 1967 to 1973, he directed all the "Musica Viva" programs of the School. In 1967, he took part in the International Music Competition in Hamburg. In 1972, he was appointed professor at the Freiburg Academy.
He composed classical music of many styles, such as chamber music & music for operas (with a particularly sarcastic tone), but also music for theatre and cinema (in more than ten films), as well as for many Greek songs of the 1970s and 1980s.
For the 1961 film "Αντιγόνη", directed by and featuring Irene Papas in the lead role, Kounadis's score earned the Best Music award in the Greek Competition at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
He was uncle of Ζάκης Κουνάδης, Γιάννης Κουνάδης & Παναγιώτης Κουνάδης.