Born in Greece in 1974, Panayiotis Kokoras studied composition and classical guitar in Athens. In 1999, he went to England to continue his studies, earning a masters and a doctorate in composition from the University of York, with support from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (now the AHRB) and several Alexandra Trianti Scholarships (Friends of Music Society of the Athens Concert Hall). He has received commissions from various institutions and festivals, including the Fromm Foundation (Harvard University), IRCAM, the Mata Festival (New York), and the Gaudeamus Muziekweek (the Netherlands). His pieces are performed regularly around the world and have been jury selections in a variety of international competitions.
He focuses in his music on sound morphology and its chrono-topological precision, as well as the physical structure of sound and its perception. It shows the influence of electroacoustics on instrumental composition as well as the inverse. His catalogue includes over forty works, ranging from acoustic pieces to multi-media, improvisational, and tape compositions.
Kokoras is founding member of the Hellenic Electroacoustic Music Composers Association (HELMCA), and from 2004 to 2012 he served on its board and acted as president. He has taught at the Technical University of Crete (Department of Musical Technology and Acoustics) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is currently an associate professor at the University of North Texas.
His work has been published by Spectrum Press, NOR, Miso Music, SAN/CEC, Independent Opposition Records, and ICMC 2004, and distributed in limited editions by LOSS, Host Artists Group, Musica Nova, and the Computer Music Journal (MIT Press).
- 2nd prize, Metamorphoses 2000 Biennial Acousmatic composition competition (Belgium), in 2000 for Breakwater
- 2nd prize, Toru Takemitsu Composition Award (Tokyo, Japan) in 2002 for Feedback
- Distinction, 1st Computer Aided Composition Competition 2002 RAM-AKMH (Athens, Greece) in 2002 for Slide
- 2nd prize, Noroit-LĂ©once Petitot Biennial Acousmatic Musical Composition (Arras, France) and honorable mention, IV CIMESP International Electroacoustic Music Contest of SĂŁo Paulo (Brazil) in 2001 for Response
- 1st prize, MĂşsica Viva Electroacoustic Composition Competition (Lisbon, Portugal) in 2002 for Response and in 2005 for AnechoĂŻc Pulse
- 1st prize, Megaron New Music Workshops (Athens, Greece) in 2003 for Holophony
- 1st prize, Insulae Electronicae International Competition of Electroacoustic Music (Milan, Italy) in 2003 for Slide
- 1st prize, 2nd International Jurgenson Competition of Young Composers (Moscow, Russia) in 2003 for Holophony
- 2nd prize, Second Seoul International Competition for Composers (South Korea) in 2003 for Friction
- Look and Listen Prize (New York, USA) in 2004 for Paranormal
- Honorable mention, Gaudeamus Composition Prize (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) in 2003 for Holophony and finalist in 2004 for Paranormal
- Finalist, Pierre Schaeffer International Computer Music Composition Competition, (Pescara, Italy) in 2005 for Shatter Cone
- 1st prize, Brave New Works Composers Competition (Michigan, USA) in 2005 for Holophony
- 1st prize, Music Powered by Technology Composition Competition (Athens, Greece) in 2005 for Shatter Cone
- 1st prize, Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award (Lugano, Switzerland) in 2007 for Crama
- Residency Prize, Concours International de Musique et d’Art Sonore Electroacoustiques (France) in 2004 for Slide