Petroloukas Chalkias

Chalkias was born on 27 July 1934 in Delvinaki, his father, Pericles, came from the village of Kastaniani in Pogoni, and was a clarinetist.^[2] He began his involvement with the clarinet at the age of 11, despite the refusal of his father, with whose help he made his first public appearance at that age.^[3] After this event he went to Athens where he played with his father and his violinist brother Achilleas (1937–2015) and where he made his first radio appearance.^[4]

In 1960, he emigrated to the United States where he stayed for 20 years and spread Greek traditional music.^[5]

In 1979, he returned to Greece and settled in Athens. He played in well-known music centers and concerts, appeared in radio and television shows and participated in recordings and albums with well-known artists.^[6]

Chalkias died on 15 June 2025, at the age of 90.^[7]