Alekos Vretos is a Greek composer, oud virtuoso, orchestrator, and musical director whose work moves fluidly between Mediterranean music, contemporary jazz, film, theatre, and interdisciplinary performance. Shaped by a deep knowledge of Eastern modal traditions and Western harmony, his musical language is defined by narrative clarity, space, and a strong sense of dramaturgy.

Rather than approaching genres as fixed categories, Vretos works through dialogue — between tradition and modernity, written composition and improvisation, sound and image. His music draws from Greek and Middle Eastern musical heritage, jazz improvisation, and cinematic composition, forming a sound world in which melody and timbre carry emotional and structural weight.

As a bandleader, he leads the Alekos Vretos Quartet, a project that challenges conventional jazz formats by excluding percussion and allowing rhythm to emerge organically through melodic interaction and collective listening. His forthcoming album Mediterranean Echoes, recorded at Sierra Studios in Athens and scheduled for release in Spring 2026, marks a key artistic milestone, presenting original works alongside reimagined compositions by influential Mediterranean composers.

Alongside his concert activity, Vretos is widely active as a composer and orchestrator for film, theatre, and song-based projects. He has written music for documentaries and stage productions, and has frequently served as orchestrator and musical director, shaping works that bridge jazz ensembles with strings, chamber groups, and symphonic forces. His writing for visual media emphasizes atmosphere, pacing, and emotional restraint, closely aligned with cinematic storytelling.

Vretos has appeared in major concert halls and festivals in Greece and abroad and has collaborated with artists such as Mikis Theodorakis, Theodoros Antoniou, Gilad Atzmon, Simon Shaheen, Bassam Saba, and Elchin Sirinov, as well as ensembles including the Camerata – Friends of Music Orchestra, the Hellenic Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the Athens State Orchestra.

Across stage, studio, and screen, Alekos Vretos continues to develop a contemporary Mediterranean musical language that honors tradition while speaking decisively to the present.

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