Pavlo couldn’t find a word to describe the kind of music he played so he came up with one. Mediterranean.

Pavlo couldn’t find a word to describe the kind of music he played so he came up with one. Mediterranean.
“Early on in my career people described me as a flamenco or classical guitarist. But that didn’t say it all. There was a lot more to it than it.”
And today, after two decades of what he describes as “hard work,” Pavlo is exactly where he wants to be. He has found his niche. In his music, and his on stage performances Pavlo said he tries to be positive and upbeat, to have fun, and let himself and the audience unwind.
“If I can let them escape for the two hours that I am out on stage, then that is what I want. Some music makes you sad, some makes you happy. I like to be happy. The greatest part for me is when I hit the stage,” he said.
Pavlo himself uses the time he spends performing as a welcome escape from the grueling pace of touring and traveling. “I do 150 concerts a year,” he said, “We work hard.”
His greatest thrill so far as a performer, aside from pleasing his audiences, is forming a friendship with classical guitarist Liona Boyd.
“A couple of years ago she phoned me and asked me to compose a song for her. I did and we recorded it. I would have been happy if it had just ended there. But we went on to become friends and in the past two years we’ve done 55 concerts together.” A former fan, Pavlo now counts Boyd among his good friends.
When he first started playing guitar at the age of 10, Pavlo said he already had a rich Greek heritage to draw from. “I grew up with that kind of music.”
But like so many young musicians he was fond of rock stars like Eddie van Halen and the music they played. There was another musical side to him, though.
“I loved rock but I also had a great passion for flamenco guitar. So for a while I lived a dual life – playing in a rock and roll band with my friends and then coming home at night to play flamenco guitar by myself.”
After two decades of hard work, Pavlo said he decided what he wanted from his music. “I’m a composer, that’s really what I am. I use my guitar as the way to express that but the ultimate goal is to find what I do best. And I have found it.”
Pavlo is very vibrant on stage, always moving, often dancing and inviting the audience to join him on stage. He is a people’s performer who uses his music to give audiences opportunity to escape.
“For two hours I am up there. How do you handle five hours driving, time changes, traveling all of that. The greatest part is when I hit the stage. I play 150 cities a year.
The guitarist and composer said he is looking forward to playing Prince George. “I always have a blast when I come out West. It is a great place to perform.
Pavlo, and his four piece band, comes to Prince George on Wednesday, March 31 at ArtSpace. Tickets $20 at Books and Company.
Pavlo liked Panama