Guitarist Takis Barberis was born in Athens in 1963 and his relationship with music started very early. He attended the
National Conservatory of Greece, studying classic guitar with
Dimitris Fampas, higher theory with Yiannis Avgerinos and upon graduation he received a certificate in harmony. At the same time, he played electric guitar in many rock groups. His interest in jazz began in 1979 and that would determine his future career. In 1982, he presented his first compositions with the band Jazz Fusion Quintet.
In 1984, with
Yiorgos Fakanas,
David Lynch and Leonidas Pliatsikas, he formed the jazz fusion group
Iskra. He also formed the group Montelo 63 with which he played rock music with an experimental approach.
His first personal album "Something From July" was released in 1990. Since then he has been recording his compositions and performing with the Takis Barberis Group, one of the longest lasting jazz groups in Greece up to this date, although with line-up changes over the years.
His music combines jazz with rock and influences from traditional greek music along with eastern and Indian music. He has also recorded the album "In Parellel" with the clarinet virtuoso
Petroloukas Chalkias.
Takis Barberis has collaborated with numerous exceptional artists, including
Trilok Gurtu,
Glenn Corneille,
Ilhan Ersahin,
Eleftheria Arvanitaki,
Dionysis Savvopoulos,
Alkinoos Ioannidis and practically with almost all of the musicians of the greek jazz scene. In addition, he has taken part in many live performances in Greece and abroad.
Since 1981, he has been teaching modern guitar and improvisation at various conservatories, such as at the National Conservatory of Patras, Pindareio, Raimondi Conservatory, R.S.I. and the 15 recent years at the
Filipos Nakas Conservatory.