Emotion and sadness has been scattered throughout Greece by the news of the death of the Great Clarinet, Petroloukas Halkia, who passed away at the age of 90.

Petroloukas Halkias was born on July 27, 1934 in Delvinaki Pogoniou, a place of origin of his mother, Kalliroi. His father, Pericles, who was also a clarinetist, came from the village of Kastaniani Pogoniou.

Today these two villages mourn about the loss of its great musical tradition.

Petroloukas Chalkias began his engagement with the clarinet at the age of 11, despite the refusal of his father, who was one of the best musicians.

The young Petroloukas then studied next to Philip Rudas (so -called “The Best Clarinet of Zagori”) with the help of which he made his first public appearance at this age.

After this event, Petroloukas goes to Athens where he plays with his father and his violinist brother Achilles (1937–2015) and makes his first radio appearance.

In 1960 Petroloukas Chalkias migrated to America where he remains 20 years and spreads the traditional music of Greece.

In 1979 he returns to Greece and settled in Athens. He plays in well -known music centers, concerts, appears on radio and television shows and participates in recordings and recordings with well -known artists.

Mendoni: With his music he initiated the Greeks and the world in the living voice of our tradition

Following the news of the loss of Petrolouka Chalkia, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said:

“With deep emotion and sadness we bid farewell to Petros-Lucas Chalkias, the leading expressor of Epirus Traditional Music, the inimitable clarinetist, the right-wing performer who, with his music, introduced the Greeks and the world into our live voice. His loss is not just the loss of a great musician, but a faithful guardian of our musical heritage and our cultural identity. He leaves behind an incomplete gap in traditional music and in the heart of Epirus. ”