ATHENS – ATHENS — Lakis Halkias, one of the most important representatives of Greece’s musical tradition, has died at the age of 82.
His family announced his death, expressing “deep sorrow and grief,” and said that “the date and time of the funeral will be announced soon.”
Born Michalis Halkiopoulos in Ioannina on August 30, 1943, Halkias was the son of renowned clarinetist Tasos Halkias and Marika Halkias and came from a family with a rich musical heritage. He played five instruments — guitar, bouzouki, laouto, tzoura and oud — and began singing at the age of seven.
Throughout his career, Lakis Halkias collaborated with some of the greatest names in Greek music, including singers Sotiria Bellou, Grigoris Bithikotsis, Stelios Kazantzidis, Nikos Xylouris and Loukianos Kilaidonis, as well as composers Giannis Papaioannou, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Markos Vamvakaris, Giorgos Zambetas, Giannis Markopoulos, Christos Leontis and Christos Nikolopoulos, among others.
Lakis Halkias (Archive Photo). Monday, August 3, 2026 (GIANNIS PANAGOPOULOS / EUROKINISSI)
A defining moment of his career was the presentation of his work “2,500 Years of Greek Music, from Homer to the Present Day,” performed at the Herod Atticus Theater in Athens on May 28, 2002.
Halkias was also a candidate for Parliament with the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in the 2007 national elections.
(Material from ANA was used in this report)
