About Us
Who are we?
EastMedArts, founded in 2019 by the artist collective “Loustri,” is a partnership aimed at empowering musicians and ensembles by offering extensive support services to music agencies, festivals, and concert venues locally in Greece and internationally.
Furthermore the copartnership produces and publishes audiovisual content based on the cultural elements one can find in the regions around the Aegean sea, East Mediterranean sea and beyond.
The collective embraces a diverse range of musical styles—including
Rock, Jazz, World music, Rebetika, Traditional and contemporary Greek art music, Tango, and Classical—promoting a vibrant and borderless artistic expression.
No time, no borders in music expression!
Associates
The board of East Med Arts has five members
Yannis Saoulis
chairman of the board
Vocals -Bouzouki
Born on May 1, 1962, in Thessaloniki, this accomplished bouzouki player began his musical journey by self-teaching from 1976 and went on to study oboe and music theory at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki from 1982 to 1986. He later pursued academic studies in philosophy and political science at universities in the Netherlands from 1986 to 1997, before relocating to Istanbul, Turkey, from 2000 to 2007. Over his career, he has produced more than 20 albums and created music for theater, earning the Afife Jale award in 2001, while performing internationally across multiple countries. Additionally, he held a position as a sales representative for Sony DADC in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus and N. Macedonia. from 1998 to 2011
Ioannis Hatzistoyannis
Secretary
A chemical engineering graduate from Moscow University,
this individual has held significant leadership roles, including President of the Greek students’ association in Moscow and Vice President of the alumni association for former USSR universities. With experience as a freelancer in international trade and tourism consultancy, he served as a Municipal Councilor and Vice President of the financial committee in Pylaia-Chortiatis from 2014 to 2019. His active engagement in politics began during his student years, with a focus on Culture, Ecology, and Self-Management, while maintaining a lifelong passion for music.
Vasilis Prokopiou
board member
Radio Producer – Audio/Video Producer – Sound Engineer – Music Producer – Festival event Coordinator.
Vasilis Prokopiou, born on May 13, 1970, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, to Greek parents, moved to Greece in 1983 and began his music journey in 1985 as a guitarist. He founded the rock band “REATIVE,” active from 1997 to 2011, while also pursuing a career in sound engineering at various venues and studios. A passionate promoter of music, he organized the “Rock On Festival Thessaloniki” from 2010 to 2015, and notable events like a charity concert for KETHEA featuring Gus G in 2014, as well as the “Rock On The Beach” festival in 2015. Additionally, he has been a radio producer since 2014, hosting “The Locals show” on Radio Thessaloniki 94.5 FM, and is the founder of “Prokopiou Studio,” specializing in photography and video production.
Leonidas Kyridis
board member
Double Bass
Born on August 28, 1969, in Larissa, he studied classical guitar and theory at the Conservatory of Municipality of Larissa before graduating from the Thessaloniki State Conservatory with a focus on double bass. He performed with the Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and from 1991 to 2013, collaborated with a variety of ensembles across genres including classical, jazz, and traditional music. Throughout his career, he worked with numerous Greek composers, the State Theater of Northern Greece, various choirs, and orchestras, and has played concerts in both Europe and America.
Alexandros - Azat Saoulis
Finance
Piano – Percussion
Alexandros, born on September 10, 2003, in Istanbul, Turkey, moved to Thessaloniki, Greece at the age of four, where he attended the Music School of Thessaloniki from 2015 to 2021. Since 2017, he has been honing his skills in piano and music theory at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, while also composing and producing music in his personal studio under the name Vankh. In addition to his musical talents, he excels in graphic design, showcasing his creativity across multiple platforms.
Co-workers
Gogos Vartsakis
Guitar - Vocals
Thanasis Tsitsaris
Cello - Guitar - mandolin
Spiros Papadopoulos
Bouzouki - Vocals
Apostolos Kaltsas
Guitar - Vocals
Tasos Tsonis
Percussion
Alexis Stefanidis
Pontus Lyra - Vocals
Valantis Kapourelakos
Guitar - Vocals
Dimitris Gouberitsis
Upright Bass
Nikos Taleas
Accordion - Vocals
Nikos Varyamidis
Drums
Yannis Rizopoulos
Percussion
Volunteers
Asimoula Azize Saoulis
Pianist - Guitar - vocals
Nikos Skoutelas
Percussion
Alexandros Terekidis
vocals