About me

Exploring music through research, songwriting and performance.

I am a music researcher, guitarist, songwriter and educator based in Athens. My work connects musical analysis with creative practice, exploring how Greek popular traditions intersect with blues, jazz, and rock. I am particularly interested in rhythm, groove and the ways musicians bring different musical languages into conversation through songwriting and performance.

I completed my PhD in Music at Bath Spa University in 2024. My practice-led research, Blending rebetiko with blues, jazz, and rock: intercultural songwriting and analysis, explored these connections through original compositions and detailed musical analysis. My current research extends this work towards microrhythm and rhythmic feel in Greek popular music, including zeïbékiko, alongside broader questions about intercultural musical practice.

Songwriting and performance are central to how I explore these ideas. Under the name Nassos Conqueso, I develop music that draws on rebetiko, blues, jazz and rock, working with voice, electric and acoustic guitar, fingerstyle and bottleneck techniques. My EP Piraeus Blues: Moldy Figs (2024) forms part of this ongoing creative exploration. I am also a member of the duo Sakké ConQuéso.

At the University of Ioannina’s Department of Music Studies, I teach electric guitar, jazz harmony, jazz history and music ensembles, and supervise undergraduate dissertations. My teaching connects theory with listening, improvisation and performance, encouraging students to develop stylistic awareness and their own musical judgement. I also serve as technical Assistant Editor of IASPM Journal.

Alongside my PhD, I hold an MMus in Songwriting from Bath Spa University and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Athens. This combination of musical and technical interests continues to inform my approach to research, teaching and creative work.

You can explore my research, publications, teaching and music elsewhere on this website, or consult my short CV for further details.