Chris Spheeris Biography

New age composer/multi-instrumentalist Chris Spheeris began writing songs on his guitar as a teenager. Inspired by the sacred and folk music of his Greek heritage and other world music, classical music, and pop, Spheeris fused these elements together into his own unique musical style. The folk aspects of his music were prominent early in his career as part of a duo with guitarist/composer Paul Voudouris in the '70s and early '80s. After they disbanded, Spheeris began to create a more complex, keyboard-based sound, which he documented on self-produced demo tapes. One of these demos found its way to the AR department at Columbia Records, with whom Spheeris signed a deal in 1985. The label released his debut album, Desires of the Heart, and Pathways to Surrender before he left in the early '90s to form his own label, Essence, which released most of his solo output and two reunions with Voudouris: Enchantment and Nothing but the Truth. Along with his solo albums, Spheeris has also composed scores for cable and public television documentaries. He released his Higher Octave Records debut, Dancing With the Muse, in early 2000.



Life

The Living Years

If you have owned a television or a radio in the past 15 years in any of more than 40 countries around the world, you have probably heard the music of chris spheeris. in addition to having been a staple in the new age and smooth jazz radio formats, the music of chris spheeris has surfaced in the olympics, in soap operas, world skating championships, commercials and behind countless documentaries. in his unassuming, yet profound way, chris spheeris continues to provide inspiration, joy, and beauty to the hearts of millions.

Being raised in the midwestern usa and spending summers in his ancestral homeland of greece, the the cross-cultural foundation of his expression was in place long before his first melodies were ever written. his earliest musical influences include the strains of classical piano played by his older sister, the Greek folk music sung by his mother and grandmother, and beautifully melodic and deeply mystical chants of the greek orthodox church. chris sites his earliest musical training as the endless hours he spent listening and memorizing the melodies, harmonies and lyrics of the beatles. it wasn’t until he was 13, spending a year in greece, that he actually picked up his first guitar. by 14, he was composing songs and at 19 entered the field of music as a professional.

Under the influences of joni mitchell, early genesis, cat stevens, the talking heads, his beloved cousin jimmie spheeris and other visionaries of the era, spheeris along with his best friend at the time, paul voudouris, entertained and inspired restaurant, coffee house, symphony, and college audiences with a blend of all original music and lyrics that was highly progressive and original. after six years, hundreds of performances, and four recordings, chris and paul went their separate ways.

Never one to sit idle for long, immediately following the split, at the age of 25, spheeris immediately set up a studio, bought his first keyboards, and embarked on his own blend of instrumental music that would help found a new musical genre of new age. within three years of the inception of his solo career, chris caught the attention of a sales representative working for columbia records who was swift to send the tape to the head of a&r in new york. within weeks, chris spheeris became one of the first new age instrumentalists to be signed to a major label and his first recording, desires of the heart, was welcomed by his new audience of great numbers.

Over the next 15 years, through his recordings PATHWAYS TO SURRENDER (1988), ENCHANTMENT (1991), CULTURE (1993), DESIRES (1994), EUROPA (1995), MYSTIC TRAVELLER (1996), EROS (1997), DANCING WITH THE MUSE (1999), and THE BEST OF CHRIS SPHEERIS (2000), spheeris developed a signature style of cross-cultural, romantic instrumental music . His geographic and spiritual odysseys have imbued his music with a quality that is at once, intimate, exotic, passionate and universal. his 17 recordings have found more than one million homes and the 50 documentary films that he has scored have been broadcast globally. ENCHANTMENT, his 1991 collaboration with long-time creative partner paul voudouris, moved the spanish public in platinum numbers and is considered a new age classic. in 1995, chris received a gold record in greece when cypriot singer constantina recorded one of his compositions. regarding this achievement, chris states, "it was an honor to be in a place to give something back to the rich greek culture that has given so much inspiration to my life and my music." in 1997, with co-producer robert cory, spheeris scored the 13-part award winning series MYSTIC LANDS, directed by chip duncan and narrated by acclaimed actor edward james olmos. in 2000, chris entered the world of rap when legendary rapper raekwon used 3 spheeris compositions on his IMMOBILARITY record. also in 2000, spheeris provided the music for a series of short-form victories by world-class russian skater irina slutskaya. in 2001, chris produced two new recordings, BRIO a guitar-oriented collaboration with stellar guitarist Anthony Mazzella, and ADAGIO, a solo-piano recording with Greek-American George Skaroulis interpreting Spheeris compositions. in November of 2001, Spheeris was awarded “Musician of the Year” by the ELIOS SOCIETY, for his artistic and cultural contributions.

In his own quiet and dedicated fashion, chris spheeris continues to mature as an innovative and prolific composer and instrumentalist, touching the lives of millions in ways that are not always recognized by the media. Living currently in the high desert of Arizona, Chris Spheeris remains a consummate traveler, both creatively and geographically, and a student of world cultures. Spiritual by nature, he sums his perspective up in the following way: "I experience divinity in everything and particularly in the process of creating . My medium is invisible. Working in this medium has taught me faith in the intangibles. Every day I do my work, I have an intimate exchange with God."

“I feel that the intention to love, to connect and to inspire creates the underlying theme in all of my work. my tendency toward harmony and beauty is implied in this.”

“Although my music is abstract in nature, and not intended to convey a particular message, i am very aware of the magical and powerful influence that music can have on the listener. for this reason, i carry with me the responsibility of what i communicate to my audience.”

“Music is a universal language that transcends cultural and individual boundaries and speaks directly to and from the human spirit.”

“I am an explorer, a pioneer commissioned by the human collective to bring back information from the unknown.”

“An artist should not be afraid to risk. risk is the key to great art. when an artist stops taking risks, it's all over.”



Bohemian Rhapsody

I was raised in the 60's when popular music was recognized as a powerful tool for personal, social and political change. Although my music is abstract in nature, and not intended to convey a particular message, I still feel the magical and powerful influence that music can have on the listener. For this reason, I carry with me the responsibility of what I communicate to my audience.

My earliest musical influences include the strains of classical piano played by my older sister, the Greek folk music sung by my mother and grandmother, and beautifully melodic and deeply mystical chants of the Greek Orthodox Church. As a child, I studied and revered the music of the Beatles who to this day serve as one of my greatest musical and spiritual inspirations. In the years to follow, those who seemed to impact my perspective on music the most were Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and my beloved and lesser known cousin, Jimmie Spheeris.

By my early twenties, I was composing music and lyrics and performing with my dear friend Paul Voudouris who introduced me to the synthesizer and the early music of Genesis and Brian Eno. One day, my brother played for me a record by a Greek artist, Vangelis, who was to become my mentor in the new world of synthesized and electronic music.

My parents always encouraged travel and the experience of other cultures. Wherever we went, I listened, and what I heard grew into a vocabulary of exotic sounds and musical motifs. This helped me see what an amazing universal language music can be, transcending cultural and individual perspectives. I now see that the nature of sound is that it is meant to be shared. In this, there are no boundaries to this remarkable language that speaks directly to and from the human spirit.

I've been fortunate to be able to create with my closest friends Paul Voudouris, Chip Duncan, Robert Cory, Russell Bond, and it to be able to play with so many delightful individuals in the productions of my records and performances. I don't know if love creates the affinity for collaboration , or if collaboration inspires the awareness of love , but whatever the case, working and playing with these powerful beings has further reinforced my sense of music as a language of fraternity and love.

On the highest level, I am filled with gratitude and humility. My gratitude comes in every moment I create, every moment I live. I am grateful to be alive in this beautiful, multi-dimensional world of color and magic. I am grateful to be an instrument of creation and to have been gifted with the ability to make my living by communicating in a language that I love. I am constantly humbled by the magnitude of the great and unfathomable spirit that moves in and around me making this life a privilege to experience.

Chris Spheeris August, 2000, Sedona, Ariz.
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Day in the Life

written recently to a young musician looking for advice:

Being an artist is not a choice. it is something one is born into. a true artist can't really get away from it, because it feels unnatural to do anything else. so are there sacrifices? it only looks that way from the outside. yes, i have stayed in the studio on countless nights when my friends and girlfriends were going out, but the places i went on those nights were so far beyond what even i could have imagined. so, it's not really a sacrifice, it's an investment and even more accurately, simply following one's calling. creating is a spiritual process for me. it comes from a deep and mysterious place and when i surrender to it i feel aligned with my truth and my purpose. sure there's work involved, practicing and learning the rigors of the technology. but the toil and tedium is driven by love for the art. where do you start? possibly you start with some deep soul-searching to hear what your calling might be. if you hear music, then start creating it. i spent years in my studio before anyone heard my instrumental work. after that, do whatever is within your means to expose people to your music. personally, i feel our worlds are orchestrated by Spirit and if we make a pure and powerful statement, it will somehow connect with the right circumstances to get it out there. in short, start with your spiritual connection, and it will guide you through anything you need to know.

the god question is very personal. i don't believe there are many gods, just many ways of experiencing what we call god. i feel the presence of a great and magical spirit in all things, including us. we have access to that energy and that voice at all times. a life guided by Spirit becomes easy, whereas a life guided by the mind will always lead to confusion.
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