Nikos Vargiamidis

Nikos Vargiamidis started studying drums in 1992 at the age of fourteen, in the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki. In 1999 he started his studies at the “Berklee College of Music” in U.S.A., after having been awarded a Berklee scholarship in 1996. He studied there with some of the greatest artists in music, such as John Ramsey, Jackie Santos, Yoron Israel, Jamey Haddad, Kenwood Dennard, Casey Scheuerell, Egguie Castillo, Ernesto Diaz, Ron Mahdi and others.
He entered Boston’s professional music scene, performing live at local clubs as well as participating in many studio projects.                                                                
In 2001 he became a faculty member of Lexington School of Music and a year later he joined the faculty of Belmond Music School, teaching drums in both schools until 2004. In 2002 he became a member of the afro-pop group “Kumina”, performing together for two consecutive years in Boston and touring over MA, New Hampshire, Maine and New York.
In 2004 he returned to Thessaloniki, where he performed with great jazz  artists such as Chico Freeman, Milcho Leviev, Tony Lakatos, Barbara Hendricks, Guataca, Linard Jackson, Takis Paterelis,  Giorgos Kontrafouris, Antonis Andreou, Kostas Baltazanis, Kostas Maginas, Dimitris Vasilakis, Dimitris Tsakas, Charis Ioannou, Giannis Pavlidis,  Evi Siamanda, Christos Rafailides, Elias Zaikos, Aroma Caribe and Peter Sanchev to name a few. He has also collaborated with many contemporary & rock Greek music artists such as Stamatis Kraounakis, Giorgos Dalaras Melina Aslanidou, Manolis Mitsias, Kostas Macedonas, Dionisis Tsaknis, Harry Klynn, Eleni Peta, Thodoris Voutsikakis, “Mora sti Fotia” to name a few. He’s the co-founder of the funk band “Hardgroove Quartet”. Alongside his performances he continues to work in the studio as well as teaching drums at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Thessaloniki.