Dimitris Soukaras

Dimitris Soukaras is a Greek guitarist, and arranger based in London. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, University of Surrey, and Ionian University, he holds a DipRAM (the Royal Academy of Music’s highest performance award) and is the first Ionian University student to complete his studies in three years. Dimitris is a recipient of over 20 international awards, including the David Russell Guitar Prize and Mottola International Guitar Competition, and is the only guitarist awarded by the Academy of Athens.

Renowned for his work in contemporary music, Dimitris has premiered more than 20 new compositions dedicated to him and collaborated with leading composers, including Grammy winners Leo Brouwer and Sergio Assad, who also have dedicated works to him. His imaginative programs merge classical, baroque, and electric guitar. His playing has been praised as “outstanding” (Web International), showcasing “the obvious talent of the virtuoso” (Guitar Classique) and he has been described as “the classical musician of the young generation” (Kathimerini).

In spring 2025, Dimitris released his second album, Antithesis (PKMusic Records), featuring works for classical and electric guitar by Brouwer, Assad, Chen, and Soukaras. His debut album, Roots (2021, NAXOS Records), highlighted works by leading Greek composers written for him. He also collaborates regularly with singer Lotte Betts- Dean and accordionist Giancarlo Palena, among other groups and musicians. As a soloist, Dimitris has performed with orchestras such as the Athens State Orchestra, Audentia Ensemble (UK), Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (UK), Oradea de Stat Filarmonic Orchestra (Romania), Filarmonia Orchestra Campana (Italy), Academica Athens Orchestra, City of Patras String Orchestra, Athens Camerata Junior, Underground Youth Orchestra, Ionio Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared at major venues, including King’s Place (London), Musikverein (Vienna), Cervantes Theatre (London), St Martins in the fields (London), St John Smith Simfonia (London) and Megaron Concert Hall (Athens), and at festivals across Europe, Canada, and Greece.

He is the head of guitar studies at the Rachmaninoff Music Academy in London (2023-present) and a guitar teacher at Bedford School (founded by the composer Peter Maxwell Davies) - (2022 - present). He is teaching guitar at Madrigal School of Music since 2014 until the present day. During his studies he has given a number of private lessons as well as lectures and masterclasses in guitar and music festivals around Europe.

In 2024, was awarded a PhD for his research on “Diversity and Collaboration in Contemporary Guitar Works,” supported by the Academy of Athens and Athena Scholarship. He studied under distinguished musicians, including Costas Cotsiolis, Michael Lewin, Stephen Goss, David Russell, Fabio Zanon, Antonis Hadjinikolaou and his father Nikos Soukaras. He also took masterclasses by Maestro Oscar Ghiglia, Sergio Assad, Hubert Käppel, Roberto Ausel, Marcin Dylla, Ricardo Gallen.

He is a D’Addario Strings and AER Amplifiers Artist, as well as a Yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians. In 2019, Dimitris founded the MUSA Concert Series, a festival in Ancient Korinthos promoting young musicians and chamber ensembles. With a mission to bridge classical music with jazz and folk idioms.