George Tsontakis is an American composer of orchestral and chamber music whose work has received major international recognition. Born in Astoria, New York, into a family of Cretan heritage, he studied with Roger Sessions at Juilliard and Franco Donatoni in Rome. His Second Violin Concerto earned the 2005 Grawemeyer Award, and in 2007 he received the Charles Ives Living award. He has served as distinguished composer in residence at Bard College and was founding director of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. His music has been recorded on Hyperion and Koch, with recordings receiving Grammy nominations. His artistic residencies have included work with the Oxford Philomusica, Albany Symphony and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.