Themos Mexis

Born in Rhodes Greece, Themos Mexis and his family migrated to Australia n 1953.

 

 He studied piano and theoretical studies firstly at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia; and then to add composition to his studies, at the Academia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. With a scholarship granted by the Rodian Municipality, he also studies at the Hellenic Conservatorium of Music in Athens, Greece, where he graduated with honours.

For further studies, with a composer’s grant, he studied electronic music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

 

He has been distinguished and awarded many times for his compositions both in Australia and overseas.

In Australia, as composer and arranger, he created works for theatre, cinema and television, including music for the advertisement of the 1998 Olympic Cultural Festival, “A Sea Change”. (link through to National Library of Australia - A sea change Sydney 2000 : 98 official program / presented by The Sydney Morning Herald)

He was often commissioned and invited by the Australian Government to perform in major events and festivals, usually conducting his own music, written and arranged for large orchestras.

Invited also by schools and universities, he has conducted seminars and workshops on his own music and on Greek music in general.

 

In the meantime, “Mexis in Concert” became a frequent fixture of cultural events in Australia. He also formed light-music ensembles, such as The Mexis Show Band, backing many local and overseas aretises, such as from Greece: Paschalis, Bessi Argyraki and Daki, amongst others.

 

He has served as president of the NSW branch of MAGA (Musical Arrangers Guild of Australia). In Greece he taught at the Hellenic Conservatory of Music in Athens and directed the ERT Orchestra in a special program on Mexis music.

He worked with the theatres of Aliki Vougouklaki and Kosta Preka, the “South Aegean Theatre Co.” and the “Hellenic Art Theatre” Sydney.

In 1999 he was appointed musical director of the Rhodian Philharmonic orchestra.

In 2000 he formed the Mexis Orchestra with all original compositions and the Mexis Big Band. Both ensembles have since toured extensively throughout Greece.