Childhood passion rekindled leads Bill Tourloupis to international music prize

Greek Australian composer Bill Tourloupis, besides known by his philharmonic alias Vasilios Evangelou, has been recognised connected the planetary stage aft winning a top grant astatine the 2026 Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition.

Tourloupis was named a Top Gold Medalist successful the nonrecreational creation category, achieving a people of 94.3 per cent successful the sixth variation of the planetary contest. His work was featured arsenic portion of the competition’s Top Prize Winners Online Concert, highlighting standout composers from astir the world.

The accomplishment marks a important milestone for the IT specialist, whose way to composing success has been thing but conventional.

Tourloupis’ philharmonic travel began successful childhood, inspired by household members who performed successful bands astatine Greek functions and nightclubs. He archetypal picked up the bouzouki astatine the property of 7 and aboriginal expanded his skills to bass guitar, drums, acoustic guitar and keyboard during his schoolhouse years.

Despite an aboriginal passionateness for music, his vocation initially took a antithetic direction.

Bill Tourloupis aka Vasilios Evangelou with his grant and medal. Photo: Supplied

“My studies took precedence implicit a vocation successful music,” helium told Neos Kosmos.

“For some clip successful my mid-twenties, I was not playing nor performing astatine immoderate gigs, solo, oregon otherwise. I did, however, strum the occasional tune successful my room, and dreamt that (someday), I would instrumentality to euphony successful some signifier oregon another.”

That instrumentality came decades later, when helium began composing and transcribing archetypal works, drafting connected melodies helium had developed implicit the years. One of his earliest compositions dates backmost to the precocious 1980s, when helium created a elemental tune utilizing a Tandy 1000 computer—later reworked and released arsenic “Reflections” successful 2022.

Bill’s archetypal performance. Photo: Vasilios Evangelou ReverbNation page

His originative process today blends intuition with technical precision. Often inspired by antithetic philharmonic styles—from traditional Greek and Chinese euphony to jazz and Latin rhythms—Tourloupis develops melodies connected soft earlier gathering afloat arrangements utilizing λογισμικό such arsenic Sibelius and GarageBand.

He composes crossed a scope of genres, though his work is heavy influenced by his Greek practice and his inheritance arsenic a bass guitarist. In caller years, helium has progressively focused connected jazz, while besides experimenting with blues, hip-hop and orchestral compositions.

His award-winning success followed a cautious determination to participate the Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition, a planetary lawsuit unfastened to musicians of each ages and acquisition levels. After progressing done the archetypal circular with his portion “The Final Frontier,” helium opted to submit a antithetic composition, “Canungra Kookaburra,” successful the last round.

He progressed from playing the bouzouki astatine a young, done to composing euphony successful his precocious 40’s, aboriginal 50’s. Photo: Vasilios Evangelou ReverbNation page

The determination paid off.

“To my delight, I received confirmation that my 2nd creation won a top award,” helium said.

Although his work was not selected for broadcast among the highest-ranking entries, Tourloupis said the designation itself was a large step forward.

“At slightest I person this grant up my sleeve arsenic impervious and designation of my abilities,” helium said. “Hopefully, it is the archetypal of many.”

Outside of composing, Tourloupis continues to work full-time successful IT, drafting comparisons betwixt the structured logic of technology and the patterns of music.

“With music, there are nary limits to however I tin explicit myself,” helium said.

Life besides got successful the way and helium settled down with a household of three kids. Photo: Vasilios Evangelou ReverbNation page

Unfortunately, helium has besides travel to realise the hard way that unless you beforehand your music, you won’t spot it summation traction.

“I ever thought that radical would perceive to my compositions if they were good,” helium said.

“Sure, I americium getting a fewer likes each present and again and, sure, I americium gathering my instrumentality base. However, I americium not seeing a substantial instrumentality for my efforts.”

As mentioned, Tourloupis way with composing isn’t conventional, and neither is the way helium gauges whether radical bask his euphony oregon not.

“I tend to play it driving location from work with the windows wound down, and conscionable large capable for the adjacent αυτοκίνητο to hear,” helium said.

“Suffice it to say, I person had some radical perceive with interest, and a mates of approving nods. However, I person besides had radical wind up their windows arsenic a result.

“Obviously, they don’t similar bully music….”

“Due to the deficiency of prime that I get from my recordings, I person yet to merchandise an album. However, I still anticipation that a signaling studio/company will motion maine connected for a woody that will spot my euphony published professionally”. Photo: Vasilios Evangelou ReverbNation page

Looking ahead, helium hopes to grow his scope by forming a set oregon collaborating with different musicians, peculiarly successful jazz and classical genres. He is besides exploring caller technologies, including AI-assisted tools for video production, while remaining committed to composing euphony independently.

“I mean to clasp true to my values successful harnessing my abilities to constitute music, arsenic opposed to utilizing AI, which much artists look to beryllium doing these days,” helium said.

“After all, I bash not want to beryllium seen arsenic being arsenic bully arsenic the λογισμικό that I use; I aspire to beryllium better, and successful my ain right.”

Tourloupis’ euphony is available connected large streaming platforms, with a broader catalogue accessible under his alias Vasilios Evangelou. He is besides unfastened to collaborate and blessed for radical to interaction him.