Zeibekiko was conceived as an entire programme of music celebrating the heritage of Greek music from antiquity and the present day. The work was commissioned by the Eduard van Beinum Foundation at the request of the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, and was composed for that ensemble with the addition of two traditional Greek musicians, the clarino player Manos Achalinotopoulos and the percussionist Vagelis Karypis. The work comprises works and arrangements by John Psathas alongside compositions by Christos Hatzis and improvisations by Achalinotopoulos, Karypis and the percussionists of the NBE.
John Psathas is a New Zealand freelance composer and teacher who, at a relatively early stage in his career, has established an international profile and receives regular commissions from organisations both in New Zealand and overseas. His works are championed around the world by a growing number of leading international artists, one of the most consistent of whom has been the Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Initially making a name for himself as a composer of high-energy percussion music, more recently the composer has concentrated on a series of larger-scale concertante works. A major career highlight to date has been the commission to compose the ceremonial music for the opening and closing of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. In 2005 John Psathas was created an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music.
