YANNIS PANTAZIS
Yannis Pantazis is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, instrument artisan and co-founder/co-owner of Symposion Cultural Center, Santorini, Greece
He was born in the Greek mountain town of Grevena in 1978. Yannis grew up in a musical environment—both his father and grandfather were percussionists—and was inspired early on by the unique musical culture of his region – Western Macedonia.
His musical career began in 1997, when he enrolled at "Delidimos Lazaros" Conservatory, Thessaloniki to study music theory and saxophone. In 2001, he joined the band Captain Sung and his Electric Tangerine. In 2002, he continued his study of music at "Christos Papoulakos" Conservatory, Larissa. In 2005, he joined the ethno-Greek band, Namaste, with which he toured Greece and the Balkans. He is also a member of the Association of the Study of Ancient Greek Mythology (EMAEM).
In 2006, fascinated by a childhood memory of the sound of the tsabouna (Greek bagpipe) , he traveled to Naxos to find out more about the instrument. While there, he learned how to make and play the instrument from a local shepherd. His research led him on a journey through the Cycladic islands. On the island of Paros, he was taught by Nikos Tsantanis. In 2007, he arrived in Santorini, where he met the last living bagpiper. He began to play the tsabouna at traditional village festivals and revived local interest in a sound that hadn’t been heard in decades. With his playing, a tsabouna revival began and Yannis started teaching the instrument to local kids. His first two students were the descendants of the renowned bagpiper of the Santorinian village of Akrotiri, Stathis Arvanitis.
In the winter of 2007 Yannis stayed in the southern Italian region of Grecia Salentina, studying the language and music and participating in local festivals.
In 2011, he was elected to be on the committee of the Pan-Cycladic Meeting of Folk Wind-Instruments in Santorini- supported by the Southern Aegean Municipality.
In 2012, he co-founded La Ponta, a Greek bagpipe (tsabouna) exhibition and workshop within the tower of the Venetian castle of Akrotiri. At La Ponta, Yannis made bagpipes, flutes and percussion instruments, while hosting educational workshops and musical performances. Since then, he has represented Santorini at the annual Southern Aegean Meeting of Folk Wind-Instruments.
In 2013, "La Ponta" and his work as an instrument artisan were nominated for the National Geographic’s World Cultural Heritage Award in the Sense of Place category. In 2013, he released his first album, "Aylos Aulos.”
In 2016 he was awarded as Olympic Mentor in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. The award was presented by the coordinator of the Olympic Mentors -Michele Maffei.
In the course of his career, he has given concerts and conducted training workshops in Greece, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey and the U.S.A. In the United States he has appeared at Buddy Guy’s Legends and Kingston Mines (Chicago), Nocca (Center for Creative Arts - New Orleans), Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge), and the Delta Blues Museum (Clarksdale, MS).
He represented Greece through his participation in the European Union cultural program "Folk Music in MusEUms" in Estonia, Norway, Italy and Spain.
He has collaborated with Corey Harris, Marta Sebestyen, Vino Louden, Nikos Ziogalas, Haig Yadjizan Wang Long, Manitarock, Vassilis 'Blue' Sotiriou, Tamburellisti di Torrepaduli, Captain Sung and the Electric Tangerine and Tony Cedras from Paul Simon’s Graceland tour. In addition, his band Efxinos Kosmos opened for Goran Bregovic in Santorini.
His work has been covered by various media outlets, including BBC 2 (Scotland), OTE HISTORY (Greece) RAI3 (Italy), TV5 (France), ET3 (Greece), National Geographic Magazine (UK), Sunday Times (UK), NDR (Germany), VIV2 (Vietnam) SONGLINES Magazine (UK), and Chanter Magazine (UK)
https://www.symposionsantorini.com/press
In 2018, La Ponta expanded and relocated to the traditional village of Megalochori, Santorini establishing Symposion Cultural Center- a space dedicated to music, art and Greek mythology.
In 2019 he performed and composed music with the National Drama Theater in Plovdiv Bulgaria- European Capital of Culture 2019 "The Traveling Man" the story of Homer's Odyssey.
2020 - 2024
As a researcher of Greek mythology, he has established an innovative, educational, interactive music presentation that allows his audience to unite through the power of music. He conducts Instrument making workshops.
Instruments constructed by Yannis Pantazis are for Vangelis Papathanasiou, Brendan Perry - Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance)
Handcrafted instruments
https://www.symposionsantorini.com/gift-shop
Projects with Instruments constructed and music composed by Yannis Pantazis
Yalos pres. Yalos Culture (Dizharmonia Dj Set along with Yannis Pantazis Live)
The Journey of Askavlos (Trailer)
Bacchic - Ancient Lyre & Double Syrinx - Yannis Pantazis & Theodore Koumartzis
Ancient Flute - "Asphodel Meadows" by Yannis Pantazis
Ancient River Flute - "God Achelous" by Yannis Pantazis
Ancient Aulos - "Satyr's Hubris" by Yannis Pantazis
Ancient Aulos - "The Mourning of a Goddess" by Yannis Pantazis
Double Syrinx - CALLISTA by Yannis Pantazis