jazz blues rock

Born (1985) and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. Takes the first classical piano and basic theory lessons at the age of 8, by Vaya Zannou. In 2005 starts studying the trumpet next to Konstantinos Gravos at the Municipal Conservatory of N. Ionia in Volos. Graduates from the Pedagogic department for Primary School Education of the Humanities School at the University of Thessaly in Volos (2007), Greece and moves to the Netherlands where he joins the jazz department of the Utrecht’s Conservatorium with Angelo Verploegen as his main teacher. He also takes lessons from Kenny Wheeler, Gerard Presencer, Richie Beirach, Peter Bernstein and Hein van de Geyn. During the year 2010-2011 had the opportunity to study at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz in Austria with Jim Rotondi as his main subject teacher and Renato Chicco. Since his staying abroad participates in recordings and performances of bands with different cultural background and gets involved with improvised and jazz music and performs in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Republic of Macedonia. Together with the guitarist Andreas Papagiannakopoulos founds the “Yiafka Playground 3”, a very special, dark and kind jazz trio (including Vasilis Stefanopoulos on doublebass) performing original compositions of the two of them. (s. "Jazz&Tzaz" Mag. iss. 232/233, 2012). Has also been a member of HKU Big Band and Big Band Utrecht (2009-2011). After graduation (Bmusic with honors - December 2011) moves back to Greece where he performs with respectful musicians like Grigoris Ntanis, Dimitris Pantelias, Takis Paterelis, Yiannis Papanastasiou, Kostas Yaxoglou, Banda Valeu a.o. and composing music for theatre plays and small jazz ensembles. He also participates in the "UBUNTU II" project (April 2013) under the guidance of the dutch composer/guitarist Marc van Vugt and shares the stage with Sylvain Beuf, Steve Beresford, Michael Occhipinti and Robin Eubanks (Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn Concert Hall, Utrecht, NL), the same year records his debut album entitled as "Urban Stories" together with Grigoris Ntanis, Vasilis Stefanopoulos, Martin Grabher and Dimitris Pantelias which is being released under "Ankh Music" label (ΑnkhJazz 0917-2). He is also Jazz trumpet teacher at Y.Fakanas Art Music School, Musical Praxis Music School and MOMI street school