Nikos Philippidis is descended from a long line of musicians and was born in 1954 in Kerasovo, near Konitsa, in Epirus, the eldest child of a well-known clarinet player.
As a young child, he accompanied his father at feasts and weddings, playing several instruments as musicians did at the time. At the age of sixteen, he left for Athens, where he earned his living during the day, went to night school and also played the clarinet, predominately at events involving his fellow countrymen from Konitsa.
After his military service, he concentrated exclusively on the clarinet. From 1970 to 1980 he lived in Rhodes where he worked with Nelli Dimoglou and her folk dancing group and did research on traditional Greek music. He also began to work abroad with great success. Returning to Athens he performed at the Dora Stratou Theatre while continuing to record and give performances at home and abroad.
He is also an instrument- maker: the clarinet on which he plays is his own work. Although familiar with the music of many parts of Greece, he gives most emphasis to playing the music of Epirus.
A close collaborator of Domna Samiou from 1989 until the end of her life, he participated in many of her concerts and studio recordings.
1998, after the concert 'The Known and the Unknown Domna', at The Athens Concert Hall
