Dimitris Soukaras

Dimitris Soukaras is a Greek guitarist and arranger based in London, celebrated for his technical brilliance, expressive colouristic palette, and inventive arrangements. Critics have described his work as “outstanding” (Web International) and hailed him as “the classical musician of the young generation” (Kathimerini). His playing has been recognised as “an outstanding Greek classical guitarist” (Jazz UK News), while his arrangements for voice and guitar have been praised forbringing new qualities to repertoire (Planet Hugil), also with programmes noted as “thoughtfully transcribed [by Soukaras] for voice and guitar” (BBC Music Magazine). Reviewers highlight his versatility and depth, noting that his “technique and colouristic paintbox is diverse between but also within individual pieces” (dCS), and that his arrangements create coherence and flow across diverse repertoire (Planet Hugill).

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, the University of Surrey, and the Ionian University, Dimitris holds the DipRAM, the Academy’s highest performance award, and was the first Ionian University student to complete his studies in three years. He has received over twenty international awards, including the David Russell Guitar Prize and the Mottola International Guitar Competition, and is the only guitarist ever honoured by the Academy of Athens.

Renowned for his commitment to contemporary music, Dimitris has premiered more than twenty works written for him and collaborated with composers including Grammy winners Leo Brouwer and Sergio Assad, both of whom have dedicated pieces to him. In 2025, Brouwer composed his final guitar concerto, Concerto of Ancient Korinthos, inspired by Dimitris’ homeland, to be premiered with the Athens State Orchestra in 2026.

Dimitris regularly performs with artists including Lotte Betts-Dean, Aphrodite Patoulidou, Giancarlo Palena, Belle Chen, Magda Yannikou, Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, and Roberts Balanas. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Athens State Orchestra, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Filarmonia Orchestra Campana, Academica Athens Orchestra, Ionio Syphony Orchestra, Oradea de Stat Philharmonic Orchestra, Patras String Orchestra and others, performing at venues such as King’s Place (London), Musikverein (Vienna), Cervantes Theatre (London), and Megaron Concert Hall (Athens).

His recordings include Roots (2021, NAXOS Records), showcasing new Greek compositions, and Antithesis (2025, PKMusic Records), featuring works by Brouwer, Assad, Chen, and Soukaras. His upcoming collaborative album with mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, Everything You’ve Ever Lived (Delphian Records, 2025), highlights his skillful arrangements and meticulous attention to musical flow.

Founder of the MUSA Concert Series in Ancient Korinthos, Dimitris promotes young musicians and bridges classical music with jazz and folk traditions. He is a D’Addario Strings and AER Amplifiers Artist and a Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.