Maçka Radif-Christos Kaliontzidis Trio

The link between the ancient and the modern

The project “ Maçka Radif-Christos Kaliontzidis Trio aims to revive musical traditions of the Mediterranean and the East under a new light. The Pontian Music tradition has been for Christos Kaliontzidis, leader and creator of this project, the main element of his living experience. It was this vital relationship that created Christos the need to perpetuate a sound that has survived for hundreds of years, adapting to the different sociocultural conditions and that gave rise to the formation of this trio.

The show includes arrangements of traditional compositions from the wider Mediterranean and Black Sea regions as well as new compositions by Christos Kaliontzidis and Thomas Meleteas. Another special element is that part of it is structured according to the standards of the Persian radif, an extensive musical form which is one of the most important elements of classical Persian music.

Each radif has a well-structured and clear course of development, combining improvised parts, instrumental/vocal compositions and rhythmic elements. The radif in question has  as its main pillars the three main lengthy tunes of Matsouka Pontus, Black Sea region while it also combines new compositions which have as a common denominator the sounds and aromas of the Pontus, and as a numerator sometimes Jazz, sometimes Persian, sometimes Turkish music, sounds of the wider Mediterranean area as well as improvisations. This creates a flow of alternating soundscapes that keeps the viewer’s interest undiminished until the last minute..

 As expected, the formation of the trio plays a catalytic role in the whole performance. All compositions are accompanied by Thomas Meleteas’ oud and by an original drum set, played by Yiannis Gkraikos, which consists of various types of percussion and is adjusted to the sound color required every time. The above duet converses with the five-string Pontian lyre played by Christos Kaliontzidis, establishing a high standard combination! 


Christos Kaliontzidis

Christos Kaliontzidis was born in Veroia Imathia in 1993, while he lives in Thessaloniki. He comes from a musical family since his father Michalis is one of the most important masters of the Pontic lyre in Greece. From his father, Christos acquired his first traditional listening skills, while at the age of six he came into direct contact with the Pontic tones, learning the Pontic lyre and singing. At the age of just 12, he began his first public appearances playing and singing Pontic music both at social events (weddings, baptisms, traditional festivals, etc.) and at concerts with choral ensembles. In 2001, he enrolled at the State Conservatory of Northern Greece, where he studied for a number of years, attending theoretical lessons, piano and classical violin under the great soloist Galina Batsika. In 2011 he passes with panhellenic ex

studies at the Department of Music Studies of the University of Ioannina from which he graduated, while a little later he completed with a grade of “Excellent” the postgraduate program of the Department of Music Science and Art of the University of Macedonia in the specialization “Early Music and Tropical Traditions of the Mediterranean”. His study and research focus on the Pontic musical tradition and its technical and stylistic elements. He also deals with other musical instruments apart from the Pontic lyre and the violin, such as lute, oud, kemane, yayli tanbur, guitar and piano, although he himself declares himself a lyre player. In addition, he has successfully attended (excellent grade) six-month seminars from the Berklee College of Music in Boston on the topic of developing musicianship and introduction to Jazz Improvisation. Algerian born singer Lamia Ait Amara. For a number of years he participated as a representative of the Pontic musical tradition in performances of the Estudiantes of Nea Ionia, under the artistic direction of Andreas Katsigianni.

Thomas Meleteas

Thomas Meleteas was born in 1993 and grew up in Athens. He studied at the Physics department of the University of Athens with a specialization in astrophysics and recently graduated from the postgraduate program “Early music and tropical traditions of the Mediterranean” of the Music Studies department of the University of Macedonia.
While his involvement in music starts from childhood, he appears in the music events of Athens in 2011 with various forms of rebetika, traditional and rock music. In 2016, he dedicates himself to the oud, the musical traditions of the eastern Mediterranean, but also their interaction with the modern experience towards a new synthetic and aesthetic proposal. At the same time, as a researcher, he is looking for the endings of the “traditional” musicians and instruments of the Mediterranean in the post-modern urban landscape. He has released two personal albums of his oud compositions (Nestinari (2019), Polyscope and Shapeshifting Wizards (2021), Polyscope) as well as a large number of singles and records, either as a solo artist or with musical groups. At the same time, he has an extensive concert activity in Athens and in various regions of Greece, collaborating with a multitude of artists from Greece and abroad in concerts, tours and festivals.
In addition to his musical activity, he has published a poetry collection and various visual works.

Yannis Graikos

Graikos Ioannis was born in 1990 in Katerini. He studied at the Department of Folk and Traditional Music in Arta (former TEI IPEROU) specializing in traditional percussion in 2018. He holds a degree in Byzantine music since 2010. In March 2022, he completed the postgraduate cycle of the Department of Music Science and Art with the title “Ancient Music and tropical musical traditions of the Mediterranean”. His involvement with music and percussion began in 2002 at the Katerinis music school. He mainly deals with the folk musical traditions of the countryside. He has attended several seminars on rhythmology, Balkan, Ottoman and Indian music from leading musicians. In recent years he has been dealing with drums and percussion sets. He is a teacher of traditional percussion instruments, mainly in music schools in Greece but also in the school of Byzantine music and traditional instruments of the Holy Cathedral of Catherine. His artistic activity ranges through various groups such as Yagini (traditional group), Grambery (alternative Pontiac music), the Christos Kaliontzidis Trio and the Katerini Polytonic Orchestra (classical and popular music). Finally, he has collaborated with various artists both at home and abroad.