Born in 1969 in Athens, with origins from Stratinista, Pogoni, Ioannina, where he was initiated into Greek traditional music. He started playing the flute and, at the age of 11, began playing the clarinet. He studied under Tassos and Petroloukas Chalkias, Nikos Philippidis, and others.
He earned a diploma in Byzantine music from the «Nikos Skalkottas» Conservatory, in the class of Lykourgos Angelopoulos. He also studied Eastern music and kanun in the class of Agnes Agopian, as well as harmony. Alongside the clarinet, he studied other wind instruments, including kaval, ney, and flute.
He taught clarinet for several years at the Pallini Music High School and Lyceum and collaborated with various institutions and cultural associations in traditional music workshops, both in Greece and abroad.
He participated in traditional music concerts and recordings in Greece and internationally (North America, Cuba, Australia, Asia, and almost all countries in Europe), collaborating with numerous organizations, researchers, and singers. He also performed as a soloist with major orchestras, including the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra.
A professor at the Athens Conservatoire, he also served as artistic director of the traditional music department at the «Philippos Nakas» Conservatory. He has authored two books on the art of the clarinet.
Source: Yiorgos Kotsinis