Originally from Greece, Alexandra is a multifaceted composer. She talks about her path from the Athens School of Fine Arts and earning a master’s at Edinburgh College of Art, ultimately achieving her long-held dream of composing music for film and creating audio installations.

Name: Alexandra Katerinopoulou

Degree course: MSc Composition for Screen

Year of graduation: 2019

At the moment

What is your current role, and how did you get there?

I am a composer based in Athens, Greece, working across film, theatre, dance, and the performing arts. My practice also extends to audiovisual installations, where I explore the interplay between sound, image, and space, creating immersive and interdisciplinary experiences.

I hold a BA in History and Theory of Art from the Athens School of Fine Arts, a Piano Performance degree from the Conservatory Orfeo in Athens, and completed a year-long course in scenography and stage design at the Laboratory of Scenography in Athens, which shaped my approach and understanding of how music interacts with visual and performative elements.

After completing my MSc in Composing for Screen at the University of Edinburgh, I was awarded an Erasmus placement in Italy at the Conservatorio di Rovigo Francesco Venezze and the music studio of composer Marco Biscarini in Bologna. The Covid pandemic interrupted this experience, and in March 2020 I returned to Greece as borders closed. To maximize the opportunity, I divided my placement into two parts, engaging with several composers to broaden my creative practice and explore different working methods.

Back in Greece, I undertook a placement with composer Stavros Gasparatos, working closely on his audiovisual installation LAPSE, presented at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. At the end of this period, he invited me to continue as his assistant, allowing me to contribute to a wide range of productions and expand my understanding of collaborative creative processes. Through these experiences, I connected with artists and professionals from various disciplines, many of whom later became trusted collaborators and friends.

What inspired your interest in this field?

Composing music for film has long been a dream of mine, and I discovered I could truly pursue it at the age of 25. I was captivated by how music shapes a film’s narrative, functioning in so many roles and communicating in ways that words or images alone cannot. It’s like speaking multiple languages and translating them into a single emotional experience. In every film I’ve seen, the music has always been what drew me in. Even listening to the soundtrack later brings back the emotions and memories of the story. While some are moved by acting or cinematography, for me it has always been the music that resonates most deeply. In theatre and performance, I aim to bring a cinematic sensibility to my compositions, crafting a third dimension that enhances the audience’s perception and deepens the emotional impact of the work. A turning point in my journey toward composition came during a scenography course in Athens. My teacher, Maria Chaniotaki, explained that in opera, set design is guided by the music rather than a detailed scenario, as operas have libretti instead of the fully detailed scripts typical of theatrical plays. It was then that I realised I wanted to be the source of that inspiration, as a composer, creating music that sparks imagination and shapes the work of others.

Career journey

What were some key milestones in your career journey?

My career’s milestones lie in the mentors I learned from and the works I created. A key milestone was studying with my piano teacher, Yiannis Michailidis, who introduced me to the concepts of true musicality, discipline, and ethos, deeply shaping my understanding of music. Fergus Currie taught me the fundamentals of composing for film and how to effectively use the musical ‘toolbox.’ Martin Parker introduced me to sound design and sound composition, a new world, further developed with Yati Durant, who also introduced me to improvisation. Marco Biscarini exposed me to his distinctive harmonic language, while Stavros Gasparatos showed me how to combine sound design with melodic composition, further expanding my creative practice.

A key milestone in my work was composing the music for The Flowers Stand Silently Witnessing, directed by Theo Panagopoulos, a dear friend I met in 2018 in Edinburgh. The film won Best Short Documentary at IDFA, the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, where I was featured in the Composer’s Spotlight 2025 by ASCAP, and was BAFTA-nominated. Creating music for a political-poetic film alongside a friend and collaborator has been a profound experience and the kind of work I hope to continue throughout my career. I also co-created the audiovisual installation LOSS with Sofyann Ben Youseff (aka Ammar 808), presented at the Subset Festival and Athens Epidaurus Festival in 2025. Drawing on Greek and Arabic traditions, a work that immerses audiences in the universal experience of loss through quadrophony sound, video, light, and sensory manipulation.

How did your time at the University shape your professional path?

My time at the University of Edinburgh shaped my professional path by allowing me to engage with classmates from around the world. We learned from each other, collaborated, and supported one another through various courses and exercises. I gained hands-on experience in working in a music studio, transforming written scores into produced music in a DAW session and eventually recording them live. Along the way, I made friends who later became collaborators and sought guidance from professors on how to bring creative ideas to life. The Erasmus placement gave me the final push to understand, through working with experienced composers, what it truly means to work professionally as a composer and to witness the process firsthand.

Can you share a standout achievement or moment you’re proud of?

One of the moments I am most proud of is presenting my piece LOSS, an audiovisual installation, at the Subset Festival of the Athens Epidaurus Festival in June 2025. I had always wanted to create an audio installation focused on Greek traditional laments, exploring the emotional and cultural depth they carry. To bring this vision to life, I invited a collaborator I admired, musician and producer Sofyann Ben Youseff (aka Ammar 808), to co-create the project. Together, we expanded the concept from laments to the broader theme of loss, transforming it into an immersive audiovisual experience. The project involved multiple stages: developing the initial idea, inviting my collaborator, applying to festivals, coordinating travel, and working both in person and online. We collaborated with video artists and musicians to create the music, video, scenography, and lighting, integrating quadrophony sound and immersive visuals to explore the personal, cultural, and universal dimensions of loss. Seeing LOSS presented to an audience and experiencing their engagement and emotional responses was profoundly moving. The project not only realised a long-held artistic ambition but also underscored the value of collaboration, trust, and creative risk-taking.

Alumni wisdom

What do you wish you had known at the start of your career?

I wish I had gained more practical composition skills during my studies, along with skills on how to approach people for work and communicate effectively with directors, understanding their unique ways of expressing what they need. I also wish I had learned earlier how to fairly calculate and value the cost of my work, ensuring my contributions are properly recognized. These skills would have made navigating professional collaborations and projects more confident and efficient from the start of my career.

What advice would you give to students or alumni looking to enter your field?

Collaborate, listen closely, and learn from everyone, sometimes inspiration comes from a fellow student rather than a lecture. Be kind and support each other; when stressed, ask for help. You are not meant to be ready, you are meant to learn. Play different instruments, record sounds around you, you may use them years later. When you admire someone’s work, tell them and ask to collaborate. Speak your truth through your work, and don’t be afraid to be political, even if others try to shut you down. Seek knowledge constantly and ask questions without hesitation.

Are there any books, podcasts, or resources that have influenced you? 

There were a number of people, authors and numerous events in my life that led me to composition – it’s impossible to choose!

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