Moments of Light

Stelios Chatzikaleas was born (1985) and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. He takes his first classical piano and basic theory lessons at the age of 8. In 2005 he starts studying the trumpet next to Konstantinos Gravos at the Municipal Conservatory of N. Ionia in Volos. In 2007 he graduates from the Pedagogic department for primary school education of the Humanities School at the University of Thessaly in Volos and moves to the Netherlands where he joins the jazz department of the Utrecht’s Conservatorium with Angelo Verploegen as his main teacher. He also takes lessons from Kenny Wheeler, Gerard Presencer, Richie Beirach and Hein van de Geyn. During the year 2010-2011 he had the opportunity to study at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz in Austria with Jim Rotondi as his main subject teacher, Peter Bernstein and Renato Chicco. Since his staying abroad he participates in recordings and performances of bands with different cultural background and gets involved with improvised music. He performs in Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Cyprus, F.Y.R.O.M. and in February 2011 he forms his own quintet to perform and record his first original compositions album entitled “Urban Stories”, together with Andreas Papagiannakopoulos they found the “Yiafka Playground 3”, a trio that performs their original compositions and he was a member of HKU Big Band and Utrecht Big Band. After his graduation (December 2011) he moves back to Greece where he stays active at the local jazz scene, performing with many respectful musicians and composing music for theater plays and small jazz ensembles.