Yiorgos Kaloudis

Yiorgos Kaloudis (born in 1973) is a Greek cellist and Cretan lyra player.

Kaloudis, born in Athens, has roots in a musically inclined family originating from Crete and Corfu.

His upbringing was immersed in music, surrounded by family members, including his parents, who were musicians versed in a variety of genres and styles.

This environment provided him with early access to a wide array of musical instruments, encompassing both symphonic instruments typically found in an orchestra and traditional musical instruments.

He began his musical journey playing the piano and drums, tutored by his parents.

However, his primary interest gravitated towards stringed instruments.

Kaloudis started with the Cretan lyra, mandolin, and guitar, instruments he learned from his grandparents, thereby continuing a family legacy as a fourth-generation Lyra player.

His musical exploration further extended to the cello, where he represents the third generation of his family in the violin instrument family.

From 1988 to December 1997, he was a member of the Greek National Track and Field Team, competing in the 5 km, 10 km and 20 km racewalking events.

In 1990, at the International Race Walking Meeting in Czechoslovakia he established the national record in a 20 km walk (Juniors category), which was beaten only after 22 years (2012).

In 1991 at the European Championships (Junior) held in Thessaloniki, with the name Yeóryios Papagiannakis, he got the 12th position in the 10 km indoor walk.

He is still today one of the top 20 performers in the history of Greek race walking.

Yiorgos Kaloudis studied Cello at the Athenaeum Conservatory with Claire Demeulenere and, thanks to the Fulbright Program, in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Ted Greene.

He also studied Cello for a year with Renato Ripo in Athens, and with Vitaliy Maltese in Rethymnon.

Before publishing as a solo artist he was a member of Greek jazz-fusion group Occasional Dream (Περιστασιακό Όνειρο).

His solo discography consists of five records: Truth (2005), On the Wind (2009), J.S.BACH: Cello Suites on the Cretan lyra (2016-2017), Aptera (2018) and Driopi (2020).

He performed the Cello suites of Bach with the Cretan lyra, maintaining the tonalities of the original work.

This was the very first time that a Greek traditional instrument interpreted classical music.

The Lyra he used to play suites a special four-string instrument (with an added low C string ) that was designed and built solely for this purpose.

The concerts of Yiorgos Kaloudis feature an extensive use of live loop recording and a combination of elements from classical, ambient, jazz and world music.

Since 2011 they give concerts together in many venues, churches and concert halls around the world.

As a soloist he collaborated with the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

He performed in New York International Fringe Festival, Rome Biennale for Young Artists, in Manchester Jazz Festival and in Celtic Connections among the others.

He played along with Steve Tavaglione, Sylvan Richardson, Karine Polwart, Markus Stockhausen, saxophonist David Lynch, pianists Stavros Lantsias, Takis Farazis, and the groups Lemoncello, Faros, Furtuna and The Chosen.

In July 2017, he re-opened the ancient theatre of Aptera in Crete, that after almost 1700 years was hosting its first event.

Beyond being a solo artist, he also collaborates on the projects of songwriter Alkinoos Ioannidis.