Andreas Makris

Who was Andreas Makris?

Andreas Makris was a Greek-American composer and violinist, born in Salonika, Greece, on March 7, 1930. He was a Composer-in-Residence for many years at the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, working with conductors such as Howard Mitchell, Mstislav Rostropovich, Antal Dorati, and Leonard Slatkin. He composed around 100 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments, including the Aegean Festival Overture, which, transcribed for concert band by Major Albert Bader of the USAF Band, became a popular piece with US bands. Grants and awards he received include the Damroch Grant, National Endowment for the Arts Grant, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Award, ASCAP Award, the Fulbright Scholarship, and citations from the Greek Government.

Makris was a member of the first violin section of the National Symphony Orchestra for 28 years. He held previous positions in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. His compositions have been performed in USA, South America, Canada, Europe, Russia and Japan.

He died on February 3, 2005 at his home in Silver Spring, MD. His legacy continues through the work of Makris Foundation.