My first musical Influences and my first encounter with Jazz, came at the age of eight years old at my father’s record store with the records: a) Art Blakey’s-Jazz Messengers Live (Savoy records) and b) The Cat by Jimmy Smith. At the following years I attended Music lessons for: Bouzouki (a popular Greek Instrument) Accordion,Trumpet, Flute, Piano, Theory and at the age of thirteen I started playing drums with various pop Rock bands as the band "Ahatis" at ’71 in the City Drama.

For several years, I was a member of the "Family band" with my father and my brothers playing Greek traditional music.

I've studied drums with:
Stelios Fotakis (Thes/niki)
Alekos Xristidis (Thes/niki) Mickey Earnshaw
(Vancouver-Canada) Max Mariash (Chicago)
Julian Vaughan (Thes/niki) and with Takis Barbas (Thes /niki).

I had attended Clinics with Tony Williams, Jack de Johnette, Louie Bellson ,Roy Burns,Dave Weckl,Dennis Chambers, Steve Smith and Kirk Covington.

In 1985 I've formed, with Kostas Pagonidis, The "Percussion Ensemble of Thessaloniki".

During my carrier I have played with various bands in the styles of: Rock-Blues-Jazz-Fusion in various clubs in Greece, Switzerland, Germany and France.

The last several years I have focused in the study of the "Greek Odd Rhythms" (5/8-7/8-9/8 etc) writing a book about this subject and forming the following bands: "Serious Fun" (1996) "Ebnus Jazz Quintet" (2000) I'm  a member of the "Andreas Georgiou Ethnic Quartet'' ,and ''The Jazz Utopia"(2001) creating music, based on these rhythms.

For the same reason I have participate in the bands that formed by Olivier Gatto and Lydia Phillipovich playing Yugoslavian songs, with jazz arrangement. I have played with many Greek jazz musicians and Jazz Musicians from around the world as well as with Greek Composers and singers.

http://www.nickoskapilidis.gr/