Pianist, Improvisor, Composer
Known for his passion at the keyboard, Dr. George Lykogiannis is an improvisatory pianist and composer based in New York City. Working primarily as a freelance dance technique class pianist, George has brought his music to countless dancers using the kinetic energy of their movement as inspiration for his live, improvised accompaniment.
His work as a ballet pianist was instrumental to the development of his musical style. Working with dance and movement demands a flexibility that is well suited to improvisation and composition; skills he worked to acquire while accompanying dance classes. Drawing heavily from his classical training and an eclectic range of musical influences, George’s improvisations and compositions take on a multitude of styles, textures, and moods. His work with dancers and choreographers has had a direct influence on his music, as he uses lyricism, rhythm, and phrasing to capture their movement in sound.
Dr. Lykogiannis fell into dance accompaniment by chance, but quickly found it to be a truly unique and fulfilling collaborative experience. With an emphasis on musicality and phrasing, he has established himself as a sought-after class accompanist for all ages and levels of training. Leaning heavily into classical-style improvisation and original music composed for class, he tailors the style and genre of his music depending on the needs of the class and the Ballet Master’s instructions. George is currently a class pianist for New York City Ballet, the Mark Morris Dance Group, American Ballet Theatre, the School of American Ballet, the Ailey School, Marymount Manhattan College, and Ballet Tech, among other dance classes around New York City.
George Lykogiannis has performed extensively throughout the United States and in Europe. As a classically trained pianist, he has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in the Midwest, the New York Metropolitan Area, and in Italy. His solo piano concerts have brought him to numerous venues throughout New York, New Jersey and abroad. He has also appeared regularly along the east coast of the United States playing the piano and accordion in various ensembles, spanning a wide variety of genres that include classical, early music, jazz, punk, folk, and world music.
Education
Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts: Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Piano Performance 2018
Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music: Master of Music (MM) in Piano Performance 2012
Rowan University: Bachelor of Music (BM) in Piano Performance 2008