Demetri Petsalakis

Hailing from Athens Greece, Demetri Petsalakis performs in a variety of styles with a focus on Greek and Middle Eastern lutes. Influenced by the rich cultural diversity of Canada, Demetri incorporates musical elements from different traditions in order to create a contemporary sound that represents both his heritage and the community of which he is a part.  An active member of the Toronto world music scene Demetri has recorded and performed with groups including The New Canadian Global Music Orchestra, Tafelmusik, Ventanas, Near East, Nomadica, Zephyr, Turkwaz, Lenka Lichtenberg and Fray, Odessa Havana, and The Blue Dot. During his musical studies, Demetri has been fortunate to learn from many great teachers including oud masters Basam Bishara, and Christos Tsiamoulis as well as master of the Cretan Lyra Astrinos Zaharioudakis and renowned jazz guitarist Lorne Lofsky.