The press depicted him as an extremely rare combination of a virtuoso and a gifted rhabdomantist of each work's notional particularity. The Greek piano soloist Ermis Theodorakis impresses his audiences due to his two talents: his exceptional musical memory and the rapid comprehension of complex musical forms, which he interprets with accuracy and clarity, easily, fluently and thus accessible even for audiences who are not familiar with contemporary music. Ermis Theodorakis is known for his performances by heart of very demanding contemporary piano works which are rejected as too difficult by pianists and which seem impenetrable to most audiences.
What attracts me to this kind of music? The challenge of the impenetrable as well as the challenge of offering the public the sense of adventure when it comes to approaching a kind of music which goes beyond the boundaries and experience of most people. Perhaps these works don’t possess the kind of elements which usually facilitate contact with the audience, such as a melody, for instance. Yet at the same time, that’s exactly where their force lies: They make up a completely different musical world. If the pianist understands this world, he might lead his public to an intense experience, which might result in the latter accepting this music and broadening their spectrum... (Interview to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, January 2004)
Ermis Theodorakis is equally interested for classical, romantic and contemporary repertoire. Since 1994, he has performed as a soloist in Europe and the USA. In 1997, when he was 18 years old, composer Iannis Xenakis wrote that he considered the young pianist as an ideal interpreter of his works. In 2003, UNESCO honoured the soloist for his contribution to Greek contemporary music. In 2006, he was awarded at the 7th International 20th Century Piano Competition in Orleans (France).
Concerning his composing activity, Ermis Theodorakis is equally talented in the structuration of forms and fine feeling for the tonal values, as the German composer Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf recently wrote in a recommendation letter.
