Daily Inspiration: Meet Kiriakos GP

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiriakos GP.  

Hi Kiriakos, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Greece in 1989. I started playing the classical guitar at the age of 8 in a local music school. Few years later, I was inspired by the song “Smooth” by Carlos Santana to start playing the electric guitar. I kept playing both guitars and continued conservatory classical studies while at the same time, I took tuba and trombone lessons. Thus, I also used to be member of a local philharmonic band and symphonic orchestra. While I was a teenager, I was inspired by Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music, and gradually I switched to the electric guitar. At the age of 18, I moved to study Pedagogic Sciences at the Democritus University of Thrace. At that time, I used to practice electric guitar for 10 hours a day in some cases and also started playing in local rock bands and compose my first original songs. Five years later, I moved again in my hometown Trikala after my graduation. Later on, I got a Master Degree in Special Education from the University of Nicosia. I started working in special education elementary schools, where I used music as tool to connect and communicate with kids (aka Music-therapy). In 2014, I came in the first place among 861 guitar players from all over the world in a major YouTube guitar contest organized by the world-class guitarist Andy James. During my music career, I took part in countless live shows, contests, clinics, and supporting acts both in Greece and abroad afterwards. Here’s a list with my Highlights: 

-1st Place Winner: Andy James World YouTube Guitar Contest 

(2014) 

“Kiriakos was chosen among 861 participants as he has the most potential for growth as an artist” Andy James. 

-Lee Ritenour’s Six String Theory Competition 2018: TOP 10 placed winner for the song “Running out of time feat. Jason Becker’s drummer Atma Anur” judged by Joe Satriani, Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa, Lee Ritenour, and Guthrie Govan. 

-Live performance on EMG TV (2017) 

-Opening act for The Paul Reed Smith Band at Thomann Summer Festival (Germany, 2015) 

-Opening act for Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) 

-ΝΑΜΜ Show 2022, 2023 special guest performance 

-Live stage presence with Scott Page (Pink Floyd), Tony Franklin 

(Whitesnake), Kenny Olson (Kid Rock) 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My first challenge was to convince my parents that electric guitar is my passion. At that time they thought that I should kept going with my classical music studies and classical guitar lessons. As a teenager, I was limited to practice electric guitar only on holidays. After I left house to study at the University I was free to practice electric guitar all day and that’s what I’m still doing now, years after then. Another challenge was that I couldn’t find a local special instructor for the contemporary electric guitar. So I would say I’m 80% self-tought. Also, while I used to live in small Greek towns, it was very hard for me to find decent metal musicians to start a professional band. Most of them used to be in big cities like Thessaloniki or Athens and it was financially almost impossible for me to move in those cities.
After I released my albums, I got a new challenge which had to do with how I was supposed to make it reach the right people’s ears out of Greece. Because in Greece rock and metal music are not that popular as they are in the US or other European countries like Germany, UK or Sweden for instance, which means that there used to be very limited opportunities to play in local rock and metal shows.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My music profile is mostly defined as a composer. I have 2 personal solo albums out featuring special guests: Running Out Of Time (2019) featuring the legendary drummer Atma Anur (Jason Becker, Cacophony) and Future Vision (2022) featuring Marcus Siepen from Blind Guardian. Even though my music has a lot of technical character, high-speed licks, and virtuosic passages, I’m trying to combine strong melodic lines. Thus, I’m getting positive feedback and support even from people who are not into guitar shred style at all. I’m trying to keep my music pleasant to hear to as many ears as possible. I also have my new personal band INDOMINANCE, and we have 2 single out already. Now, we are working on our first EP which is going to be released in 2023. I’m an official artist for major guitar brands like Ibanez guitars, Vegatrem, Anatomy of Sound. 

Recently, I was proposed to visit Detroit and start a new personal album. Currently, I’m working on my new album which is going to be produced and engineered in Detroit in collaboration with the legendary guitarist/producer Kenny Olson and Silvio Ciccone. At the same time you can find plenty recordings and live shows out there with me as a session guitar player, for several bands from all over the world and in a wide variety of music genres: From Hard Rock to Death Metal and from Blues to Folk and Funk music. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
As I mentioned before, I enjoy working as a session or guest guitar player too. I’m always excited when a band or artist contacts me and asks from me to take part in a show/tour or album recording, even for guest guitar solos. I believe that music is a strong tool to reach and connect with people, and working in a team is very intriguing. If your readers want to support my work they can follow my social media. I’m active in every platform, such as Instagram, where I post regular guitar music content. For people who want to listen to my music, they can find it available for streaming on Spotify and iTunes, or the can support by purchasing my albums from my official website: www.kiriakosgp.com. On my website, there are also videos, gallery, news, upcoming shows, and my EPK available to read and download. Thank you, Voyage Michigan! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kiriakosgp.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiriakosgp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiriakosgp
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiriakos-bouloubasis-4a111b115/?originalSubdomain=gr
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KiriaksGuitarPw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy65JR7IlswJTfMFYtpWqIg
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3k1xTyeyv9h9C2D4o74d3m