Behind the Music

Yorgos currently serves as the Director of Instrumental Studies at Saddleback College in Southern California.

​

He was a prizewinner for the 2012 American Prize in Conducting. Mr. Kouritas has been selected through hundreds of applicants to be a finalist in major international conducting competitions such as the Dorati in Budapest, Hungary (2015 and 2018), and also the European Union Conducting in Bulgaria (2020). In the latter competition, he was chosen to participate from a pool of over 300 applicants and was able to advance till the semifinal round. Praised by JoAnn Falletta, Yorgos had the pleasure of conducting her orchestra, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. 

He recently served as the Assistant Conductor of the Boise Philharmonic and as the Music Director of its Youth Symphony. During his tenure with the Boise Philharmonic, he led several highly successful and celebrated concerts as part of the subscription series.

​

He was hand picked by Maestro Lorin Maazel, (Music Director of the New York Philharmonic & the Vienna State Opera among others), as a Conducting Fellow for the world renowned Castleton Music Festival. As part of this opportunity, he received great reviews by the Washington Post and the Washington Times.

​

In addition to receiving a Doctorate Degree in Conducting at the Eastman School of Music, he previously held staff conducting positions with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.

​

The late Maestro Kurt Masur demonstrated his commitment and belief in Yorgos by extending the active participant invitation twice to his conducting seminar at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. 

​

In the US Yorgos has worked with the Baltimore, Winnipeg, Richmond Symphony Orchestras, and the Rochester Philharmonic among others. In Europe he has worked with the Plovdiv, Pleven Philharmonics and the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria, as well as the Bacau Philharmonic in Romania, and the MAV Symphony Orchestra in Hungary.

​

In June 2017 he stepped in with only two-days notice and made a highly successful debut with the City of Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra in Greece.