Home Concert
Tsolakis & the Vrachnos Brothers
27.04.2024 | 21:30
The Vrachnos brothers, Periklis (guitar) and Vangelis (double bass), join forces with the exceptional bouzouki virtuoso Alekos Tsolakis, performing original compositions alongside arrangements of rebetiko songs.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Suggested arrival time: 20:30 – Meet and enjoy a welcome drink (wine or herbal tea)
Concert starts: 21:30
Ticket price: €12
The ticket includes wine from Papathanasiou Estate and/or herbal tea.
Concert area: Ampelokipoi, Thessaloniki
* The exact address will be sent by email upon ticket reservation.
** The living room hosting the concert is located on the first floor of a building with no elevator access.
The Artists
Alekos Tsolakis
Alekos Tsolakis lives in the Upper Town of Thessaloniki and is a master of the three-course bouzouki and a devoted interpreter of the urban folk song tradition. Deeply connected to rebetiko music, he combines authenticity, expressive playing and a distinctive personal style. For him, rebetiko is not simply a genre but a way of life.
Largely self-taught, he approaches the instrument with spontaneity and intuition, drawing inspiration from pre-war rebetiko musicians and their aesthetics. His evocative improvisations (taximia), creative phrasing and passionate performance style have made him a recognizable figure on the rebetiko stages of Thessaloniki and beyond.
He has shared the stage with renowned musicians including Kyriakos Gouventas, Dimos Vougioukas, Katerina Tsiridou, Nikos Protopapas and Agathonas Iakovidis, among others.
Periklis Vrachnos
Born and raised in Thessaloniki, Periklis Vrachnos studied at several conservatories before completing studies in Ethnomusicology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He is a founding member and composer of Mordana, an ensemble dedicated to original modal music, where he performs on lavta, violin and viola. He is also a violinist with Roviolides, a trio inspired by the sound world of the Smyrnaic school and pre-war rebetiko music. Both ensembles released their debut albums in 2021.
For many years he was a member of the ensemble Kafe Aman kai Alla alongside singer Giannis Dionysiou, performing tribute concerts to Dalgas and Semsis in Greece and abroad. He has collaborated with award-winning filmmaker Tony Gatlif in concerts presented in France (Lyon and Arles) and has composed music for theatre productions including Kleftes and Lysistrata. He has also worked with the State Theatre of Northern Greece as a musician and arranger.
In 2022, he composed original music for the performance From Asia Minor to Northern Evia, presented within the Greek Ministry of Culture programme All of Greece, One Culture. In 2023, he collaborated with Elena Moudiri Hasiotou on the vocal theatre production Ataktos Kosmos and worked with writer and poet Thomas Korovinis on the musical-literary performance Poetry and Vagabond Life.
Vangelis Vrachnos
Born in Thessaloniki in 1989, Vangelis Vrachnos began studying music at an early age, taking lessons in recorder, guitar, French horn and electric bass, while also studying music theory and harmony.
Alongside his studies at the Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, he continued developing his musical path, first as a bassist and trumpeter and later as a double bassist. His passion for both traditional music and creative exploration led him to continue his studies at the multicultural Codarts Academy in Rotterdam during 2014–2015, where he deepened his knowledge of jazz and collaborated with musicians from around the world.
Upon returning to Thessaloniki, he completed his medical studies and co-founded Yako Trio, releasing albums that combine arrangements of Greek folk repertoire with original compositions. Later, together with his brother Periklis, he founded Mordana, releasing the album Roots, featuring original compositions inspired by the musical traditions of the Mediterranean.
He has performed at numerous festivals in Greece and abroad, including the Technopolis Jazz Festival of Athens, Heraklion Jazz Festival, Prilep International Jazz Festival, Odessa International Jazz Festival, Aglanjazz Festival of Cyprus, and the Anopolis World Music Festival.
Production: AMKE olipoli
Sponsor: Papathanasiou Estate
Information: info@olipoli.gr | +30 698 438 3153