Stefan Torto

           
   
Stefanos is the music producer & composer of Zen Garden. He was born in Athens. He started playing the guitar at the age of 10 and he is self-taught. When he was 15 years old, he joined ëVice Humaní as a guitar player and he participated in their live shows and CD- LP recordings. Between 1995 and 1998 he played with several groups such as Glower, Agnoun, On-Off and others.

Since 2000 he practices on music technology (samplers, synthesizers, music production) and instrument learning and experimentation (percussion, strings, piano).

In 2003, Stefanos orchestrates and produces the "Mayas to the Atlantis" record by Tom Baton Kee (Native American flute Keeper), with whom he also performs live touring in Greece (percussion and guitar), as part of the Cultural Olympics.

Between 2004 and 2006 he participates in the (IEK) - college AKMI Music Technology competition and connected with PLANETWORKS record company. Soon after that, collaborations with Dj Viton, Dallas, Mike& Stef, and others follow.

His love for theatre music and live orchestration begun in 2006, when he worked for the orchestration, sampling and sound design of the ìPersiansî, the famous ancient Greek drama by Aeschylos, presented by the National Theatre of Greece (directed by Lydia Koniordou, music by Takis Farazis). He followed the play all the way from Epidaurus ancient Theatre to the tour around Greece and New York (New York City Centre), playing live samples, percussions and strings.

In 2006-2007 he composes, orchestrates and produces music for the "Deva" Dance-Theatre performance,. directed by Silvia Macchi, of the Synergion of Arts dance group, in collaboration with Roxani Garefalaki. Together they also scored the soundtracks of short films 'Gaia' and 'Long Distance Drunk' (by Post Bukowski Project), the parts of the music orchestration for the documentary Chania/Ecotourism (directed by V. Kalaitzis). Since 2007 he has also been collaborating with "Taki Street Percussion" music group and the "Afro-Cretan" Band
by L. Grigoriou, doing sampling, production, playing guitars and keyboards in their live shows around Greece.

…n 2008 he composes music for the dance theatre production "Facts and Faculties" (produced by Fygein Adynaton,
choreographed by Natasa Aretha).

In 2009 he cooperates with Takis Farazis in writing the music for the short film "of memory", a film about the work of sculptor Venia Dimitrakopoulou (directed by F. Koutsaftis). In the same year he works as a sound engineer for the Athens and Epidaurus Festival in the production of ìOrnithesî play (directed by S. Hatzakis, music by Minos Matsas).

He also contributed with sampling in theatre productions such as Mana, Mitera, Mama directed by S. Hatzakis (Veaki Theatre) and Troades (Theatre of Neos Kosmos). In May 2010 he improvises live with both electronic and natural instruments for the dance theatre "Roes" for the Greek Choreographersí Dance Festival.

Moreover Stefanos is involved with the making of sound design and music for tv-commercials, and short-films and as a member of the Tomako team, a visual productions group, he created sound design and soundtrack compositions for company presentations such as
Nike and Heineken, as well as the audiovisual introductions of popular Greek artists live shows (Ploutarxos, Vertis).

Since 2007 Stefanos has been the main composer and producer of the band Zen Garden. info & bio :

http://www.facebook.com/zengardenofficial

Stefan Torto has released three personal albums under Cosmicleaf records: "Ambion" (2011), "Astral Visions" (2011) and
"Oceanian Dreams" (2012).

Also many of his tracks are included in short film productions, documentaries

and commercial presentations.

Various songs were included also in the compilations :

ëGoa Beach vol.18í by Yellow Sunshine Explosion, "Ethnoscapes" by Atmospheric records,
"8 years Cosmicleaf" by Cosmicleaf records and more.





Genre : Downtempo / Country : Greece