Duo Melis (Susana Prieto & Alexis Muzurakis)

Duo Melis, formed by Spanish guitarist Susana Prieto and Greek guitarist Alexis Mouzourakis, is one of the most important guitar duos on the international scene. Their concerts thrill audiences and international critics alike with their emotional power, virtuosity, and perfect instrumental unity.

"The guitarists harmonize in such a way that the sound seems to come from a single instrument… their perfectly synchronized performance shines with astonishing technique and a profound understanding of the works."
El Mundo, Spain

Following their debut at the Volos International Guitar Festival (Greece, 1999), the Melis Duo has performed in prestigious venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Tchaikovsky Theatre in Moscow, the Megaron in Athens, and the Merkin Concert Hall in New York, among others. They are in high demand for concerts and masterclasses at international guitar festivals and major concert series in Europe, North America, and Asia.

The Melis Duo has collaborated with international orchestras, including the Berliner Symphoniker, the Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, the Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, the Bucharest Radio Orchestra and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Leo Brouwer.

Their varied repertoire ranges from Baroque music to compositions by Astor Piazzolla, Alberto Ginastera, and Leo Brouwer, and includes many of their own transcriptions. Concertos by Joaquín Rodrigo, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Roland Dyens, Leo Brouwer, and Vivaldi, as well as the concerto recently written by Marek Pasieczny and dedicated to Duo Melis, are part of their extensive repertoire. Passionate about historical research into 19th - century repertoire, they perform this music on period guitars.

Susana Prieto and Alexis Mouzourakis have won numerous competitions, both as a duo and as soloists. In 1999, they won first prize at the Frechen International Guitar Duo Competition (Germany), followed by concerts throughout Europe and their debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2000, they won the prestigious Montélimar International Guitar Duo Competition (France), as well as the Mauro Giuliani International Guitar Duo Competition (Italy). In 2001, they won the Leipzig Chamber Music Competition (Germany) and the Paris International Guitar Duo Competition (France). In 2003, after winning the Città di Verona Recording Prize at the Gaetano Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition (Italy), they signed their first recording contract with Azzurra Music. In 2005, they were selected to join the Live Music Now foundation, created by Yehudi Menuhin.

During their recent tours, they have given concerts in Asia and North America, performing in Cleveland, Houston, San Francisco, Columbus, Vancouver, and Calgary, among other cities. In Europe, the Melis Duo is regularly invited to perform and give masterclasses at some of the most important international guitar festivals: Koblenz International Guitar Festival in Germany, Paganini International Guitar Festival in Italy, Petrer International Guitar Festival in Spain, Masters of the Guitar in the Netherlands, Paris Guitar Festival in France, Sinaia Guitar Festival in Romania, Veria International Guitar Festival in Greece, Guitar Virtuosos Festival in Russia, Milulov Guitar Festival in Slovakia, J. Rodrigo International Guitar Festival in Poland, and many others.

Following their performance at the Changsha International Guitar Festival (China), Gerald Garcia wrote the following review in Classical Guitar Magazine:

“…a virtuoso performance by two artists at the peak of their careers. At times, their phrasing was passionate and left the audience breathless; at other times, it was languid and fluid…”
Classical Guitar Magazine, United Kingdom

Susana Prieto and Alexis Mouzourakis studied in Spain and Greece respectively. They then pursued higher education, both solo and as a duo, at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Netherlands), the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University of Music and Theatre in Leipzig (Germany), and the Hanns Eisler University of Music in Berlin (Germany).

Since 2006, Susana Prieto and Alexis Mouzourakis have been professors at the Conservatory and the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Strasbourg (France).

Website: Duo Melis

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