Yiannis Kyriakides was born in Limassol, Cyprus in 1969. He emigrated with his family to England in 1975 where he took an early interest in music. He was awarded various prizes and scholarships as a young musician ( violin and piano) including a travel award to explore the music of Greece and the Near East which he undertook after leaving High School.
   He studied musicology at York University and composition with Louis Andriessen at the Hague Conservatory in the Netherlands. He currently lives in Amsterdam where he works as a composer and musician in a variety of different fields including concert music, dance, theatre and film.
   His works have been performed and broadcast around Europe by groups including ASKO (NL), LOOS (NL), Maarten Altena Ensemble (NL), Icebraker (UK), Ugly Culture (D) - and has collaborated with many dance and theatre groups including The Dutch National Ballet, and Theatergroup Hollandia.
   His musical language is often characterised by a high rhythmic energy - a preoccupation with shifting speeds and time scales - and mixing of traditional cross - culturai musical practices with new medias - the need to explore new ways of listening and experiencing music.
   Currently he is working on a large scale dance work for Leine and Roebano (NL), a multi - media cantata "SPI" to be performed in 1999 and the CD recording of five chamber pieces RIZ - YDA - PHO - VEL - AKR. "SPI" is an electronic cantatinspired by the incorporeal world of clandestine shortwave number station. Using music - video and movement the piece explores the area of discreet communication signals. Language is stripped down to a basic core and its various mediums of expression are used to examine the amiguity and subtlety of human interaction.