Photo: The Friends of Xenakis (permission link) / CC BY 2.5 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Iannis Xenakis is, to my mind, one of the true polymaths of the twentieth century. A Romanian-born Greek who became French, he was at once composer, architect and engineer, and he fused mathematics and probability theory into music in ways no one had dared. Building sound with the logic of architecture is an extraordinary leap of imagination. His life was harrowing too, exiled from Greece before finding refuge in France. The Kyoto Prize and his national honors confirm a mind the world recognized. His music can baffle on first listen, but it rewards every return.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Iannis Xenakis
- Name (Japanese)
- ヤニス・クセナキス
- Reading
- やにす・くせなきす
- Born
- May 29, 1922 – February 4, 2001
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Dog
- Origin
- Brăila, Brăila County, Kingdom of Romania
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / architect / engineer / music educator / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- National Technical University of Athens
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy
- honorary doctor of the University of Sydney
- 1995 Commander of the National Order of Merit
- Honorary Member of the International Society for Contemporary Music
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Iannis Xenakis born?
May 29, 1922 – February 4, 2001.
Where is Iannis Xenakis from?
Iannis Xenakis is from Brăila, Brăila County, Kingdom of Romania.
What does Iannis Xenakis do?
Iannis Xenakis works as composer, architect, engineer, music educator, musician.
Composer — see all → · Architect — see all →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.