Vangelis Merkouris trio “Racconti Mediterranei”

This musical project stems from the meeting of musicians from different traditions, with the aim of exploring and blending the music of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Near East. It highlights the uniqueness of a heritage that, in its richness and variety, represents the result of centuries of exchange and dialogue.

The trio performs songs from the Greek musical tradition, fusing rhythms and melodies of Hellenic culture with the improvisational language of jazz. The trio’s unique “interplay” also lends itself to offering original interpretations of Western pop songs.

Vangelis Merkouris

Born in Keratea (Greece), Vangelis is a classically trained musician and singer-songwriter. He was educated in Greek-Roman music by Georgios Aggelis, the first cantor of the Cathedral of Saint Demetrius. He studied the modal system as a kanun player and studied oud with maestro Nikos Saragoudas. He is the founder of the Athens Byzantine Orchestra “Manolis Karpathios” and has dozens of collaborations to his credit in traditional, jazz, Mediterranean, and rock music projects.