(1931–1993) | Clarinet virtuoso. He was born in Komboti, Arta, and came from a family of musicians; his father and great-grandfather played the clarinet, while his grandfather played the violin. His repertoire consisted mainly of songs from Epirus and Roumeli.
At the age of 5, he learned the basics of the laouto (lute) from the renowned lute player of the time, Gerasimos Lalos, and joined the family ensemble. By the age of 12, he also played guitar, santur, and cimbalom, while simultaneously beginning to learn the clarinet. At 20, he decided to dedicate himself fully to the clarinet, and at 28 he moved to Athens.
He participated in numerous recordings of folk and popular music, recording more than four thousand songs, approximately two hundred of which were his own. He performed in concerts, musical events, festivals, and radio and television broadcasts, collaborating with prominent figures of the Greek music scene.
He passed away in 1993. His clarinet was donated by his wife to the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments “Phoebus Anogeinakis”.
Source: Yiorgos E. Papadakis’ archive
