He was born on Schinoussa, in the Small Cyclades, into a multi-generational musical family, with his grandfather and father —both well-known traditional violinists— shaping his first steps in music. A major school for him were the island festivals and village celebrations of the Cyclades, where he was immersed in the local style and repertoire.
His first violin teacher was Yiorgos Mariolas. Later, following the encouragement of Dionysis Savvopoulos, he continued his studies in classical violin at the Athens Conservatoire with Ismene Chrysochoou-Carter and at the National Conservatory with Kostas Setas.
At the age of only 15 he began his professional career, playing violin with the Dora Stratou ensemble and taking part in field recordings of folk music from all over Greece. He collaborated with leading figures of traditional music, as well as with major composers and performers of contemporary Greek song.
In the 1990s he co-founded the music ensemble “Akrites”, with which he gave concerts in Greece and abroad and participated in recordings of traditional music from across the country. Part of this work received an award from the Academy of Athens, highlighting the ensemble’s prestige and its contribution to the research and dissemination of Greek music.
He took part in international festivals and was awarded Third Prize at the “Sharq Taronalari” international traditional music festival in Samarkand, held under the auspices of UNESCO. He taught traditional music at the University of Southern Maine as part of cultural exchange programs of the Ministry of the Aegean.
In collaboration with World Music, he presented his work in major theaters in New York, Chicago, and Boston. He founded the independent record label “Oikonomidis Music”, aimed at documenting and promoting primarily the musical traditions of the islands, carrying out extensive programs of collecting, documenting, and recording musical material from the Cyclades and the Northeastern Aegean.
In recent years he focused on studying the musical influences of Asia Minor in the Aegean and presenting them through concerts, educational activities, and recordings.
