Diomedes is the Orchestra's Principal Piccolo
How did you become involved with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)?
I got an invitation to play with the RPO while I was based in Belfast, where I was a member with the Ulster Orchestra, and it all started from there.
What was your first experience of orchestral music?
My first memory of orchestral music was a concert I attended to see my sister play in the Cyprus Youth Orchestra for the first time. The works which grabbed my attention and made me want to join the orchestra were Bizet’s L’Arlésienne: Suite No.2 and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.
How did you find yourself on this career journey?
I didn’t actually choose the flute myself. One day my dad took me to a shop, bought me a flute and said I could start lessons, and if I didn't like them I could stop. Many years later, during my undergraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music, I was offered piccolo lessons with the legendary piccolo teacher Patricia Morris. I instantly fell in love with the instrument.
What is the best thing about being part of the RPO family?
The positive vibe and energy, the motivation and passion! Everyone is supportive of each other on both good and challenging days. And it never gets boring!
Tell us about your favourite RPO journey.
I loved our recent Europe tour with Vasily Petrenko, especially our stop in Thessaloniki, Greece which is closer to home.
Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
Not really. I do like to arrive at the concert venue quite early to be calm and have some time to focus and think about what I need to achieve in certain moments of the pieces.
Must listens – if you had to recommend one artist or composer, who would it be and why?
Tricky question! There are so many composers’ music that I enjoy playing. I can definitely pick one work though and that would be Mahler’s Second Symphony (the ‘Resurrection’). This Symphony is like a journey to heaven. Every movement is so beautiful and when the choir enters in the last movement it really feels like a resurrection and hits me right in the heart.
Symphonic crossover – if you could work with any artist on a performance or project, who would you choose?
Adele or Beyoncé!
Away from music, tell us two of your favourite hobbies and why they strike such a chord.
I love playing tennis and beach tennis. There was even a point in my life when I was considering following tennis professionally. I find that there is a fascinating connection between music and tennis in terms of mental preparation when it comes to a performance/match. My other hobby is a musical one – playing the Greek Bouzouki, which is actually my first instrument. My dad gave me my first lessons at a young age and I always enjoy playing Greek folk music.
Dream dinner party – who would you invite, what would you cook?
I would invite J.S. Bach, Albert Einstein, Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Maya Angelou, Roger Federer, Frank Sinatra and my parents and sister. I would prepare a Greek meal starting with lots of different meze, a pasticcio and stuffed vegetables for the main, and a galaktoboureko as a dessert.