bio

By the time he was around 12 years old, Stefanos started taking his first lessons at the local music school, just a block away from his house in Veria, his birthplace in northern Greece. Around a year later, he finally got hold of his very first drum set, a gift from his father, and shortly after began studying the instrument with well-known drums instructor, Nikos Dimitriou. By the age of 16, he already got the chance to sit in with legendary drummer Giorgos Zisis (Fevers, Markopoulos, Parios etc.), on numerous late night shows at the Archontiko Club. Stefanos continued his studies with former military drummer, Apostolis Fakas, who introduced him to jazz drumming, right through till his graduation from High School.

Around 1995, he formed his first band, the Ghetto, alongside Nikos Lachanopoulos, which was later joined by Kostas Charvalas, Ilias Moratis and Fotis Varaklis (substituted in 1996 by Tasos Zisis). Ghetto’s electrifying blues-rock sound had quite a touch at the local rock ’n‘ roll scene of the mid-late 90s. The band was about to last till September 1998, following Stefanos‘ departure to England for further studies. It was there in London, where he came up to further exploring a wide range of musical genres, while his love for jazz kept growing.

In Derby, at the end of the 90s, Stefanos met guitarist/songwriter, George Batsolakis, and between the two grew a long lasting friendship, while playing with plenty of other young talented musicians throughout most of the 00s. Especially memorable remain their performances as a trio, alongside Nottingham born bassist Phil Jeffries.

In 2010, Stefanos moved to Spain, where he worked as an artist and event manager, while simultaneously giving private lessons in Granada, Andalusia, as well as occasionally performing with several artists, including flamenco legend, Jose Ferrer (Niño de las Almendras). In 2014, he moved to Germany, where he has been living since then and in October 2015, he started giving private lessons at the Alte Brauerei’s School of Drums in Annaberg-Buchholz, Saxony, alongside Sven Lerchenberger.                                                                                                                

Since April 2016, Stefanos has been teaching at Städtische Musikschule in Chemnitz, Saxony, as well as at Kreismusikschule Erzgebirgskreis, where he also started teaching since January 2017, first in Zschopau, Saxony, and later, since August 2023 to this day, also in Annaberg-Buchholz, Saxony.

Since the summer of 2018, Stefanos is working with composer Mimis Nikolopoulos. Following concerts in Greece, the beginning of 2019 found Stefanos touring with Mimis in Europe, playing the music of the composer’s debut album, „Deviation“. Stefanos continues working with Mimis to this day, recording as well as performing live both in Greece and abroad. The composer’s second album, „The Way Back Home“, was released in March 2023.

In addition to his work with Mimis Nikolopoulos, Stefanos has, alongside his wife, Sophie Megan Ioannidis, formed the improvisational/experimental duo Wood ’n‘ Strings. While working on their debut album, Wood ’n‘ Strings are performing throughout Germany.