Black Tie Cabaret
BLACK TIE is a unique Australia Cabaret act consisting of two brothers, Con and Yuri Mavridis, and their wives, cellist Sue and Pianist Valerie.
They have received Australia’s highest accolade, the MO Award for Best Cabaret Group. Recently they have performed with such great performers as Max Bygraves, Patti Lupone, Vic Damone, Dionne Warwick, the late Rosemary Clooney and Victor Borge.
After graduating with a science degree from the University of Sydney, Constantine (Con) Mavridis decided that his real love was singing. He then took voice lessons in London and in Florence, Italy with Maestro Tito Gobbi. After winning two prestigious competitions in Australia, he studied and sang at The Metroplitan Opera in New York. He performed in “Las Traviata” for the Hawaii Opera, culminating in a season if Rossini’s “Sememide” opposite Dame Joan Sutherland. Con has also performed in concerts in Canada and the United States.
Susan Mavridis began to play the cello in Melbourne at the age of eight. In 1974, as a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra, she toured the US, England and Germany. She continued her studies in London and New York, and on her return to Australia joined the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. After marrying Con, Susan moved to Sydney and joined the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Yuri Mavridis was a concert pianist at the age of 12 and has performed in Australia and the US. He began voice training at 17 with his father and majored in vocal performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He won many prizes in the popular field. According to her mother, Valeric Mavridis played her first tune at the age of two-and-a-half. Her formal training started at the age of five, and in 1983, she received a Bachelor of Music degree, with a high distinction in performance, from Sydney University. After winning several piano competitions in Australia, she performed as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and did many recordings for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Valerie has conducted the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and does all of Black Tie’s musical arrangements
