Antonis Martsakis

Antonis Martsakis was born and raised in Athens. He comes from Harchaliana, Kissamos, Chania, Crete. Child of a large family, he got his first impulses towards traditional Cretan music, dance and song, from his father and grandfather. Together with his twin brother Giannis, they first started dancing and then playing Cretan dances, songs and songs, in Athens and Crete.

He studied the violin with important older musicians (Kostis Pahakis, Michalis Kounelis, Kostas Papadakis or "Navtis" etc.), met many of the pioneers of Cretan music and collaborated with many renowned instrumentalists. For the last 20 years, his stable partner has been Nikos Marentakis in the lagouto. In addition to the violin, he plays the mandolin, ascomandura and lute. His favorite songs are the roots and he systematically seeks to record the Cretan music and dance tradition, as preserved, as a daily experience, by its authentic exponents, in the villages and cities of Crete and the Cretan diaspora.

Since 2005 he lives permanently in Crete dealing with the Cretan musical tradition, as a performer, composer and teacher. Today, based in the village of Harchaliana, it presents the traditional music of Crete (with an emphasis on the traditional Cretan feast), on the island itself, in Athens and the rest of Greece, but also abroad (various European countries, USA and Australia).

He has presented 7 personal recording works, while he has also taken part in various collective recording works (such as the last records of Domna Samiou).