Education

Demetrios Kehagias was born in Manhattan, New York City. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Long Island University College of Pharmacy. 

Demetrios began his studies in byzantine music at the young age of 14 under the tutelage of Archon Mousikodidaskalos (head-music teacher) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Mr. Nicholaos Steliaros. Demetrios has also studied with teachers Christos Hatzinikolaou, George Hatzihronolgou and Demetrios Hatzopoulos. Demetrios quickly advanced in his studies and at the age of 20 passed his examinations and obtained the(ptixio) Certificate of Byzantine Music from the National Conservatory of Athens with the perfect grade of arista (perfect). He later went on to receive his Teaching Diploma in Byzantine Music from the National Conservatory of Greece in 2009 with the grade of Arista as well. 

Demetrios was Protopsaltis(head chanter) for ten years at the Greek Orthodox Community of St. Demetrios in Astoria. For the past eighteen years he has been Protopsaltis of the community of Kimissis Theotokou in Brooklyn, NY. 

Demetrios is fluent in western music having studied theory and composition at Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. He is an established trombone player in the New York City scene and has performed and traveled throughout North and South America with various artists. Demetrios has also recorded with many artists throughout the United States. Demetrios  also performs and teaches traditional Greek instruments such as the oud, tamboura, and politiko laouto. 

Demetrios had established and was previously teaching byzantine music at the Archdiocesan School of Byzantine Music for the past ten years as well as serving as the Director of the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir. Under his leadership, the choir has performed in some of New York’s most prestigious spaces, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Saint John the Divine, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and in the historic Hagia Irini Church in Istanbul. Demetrios has also performed twice with the world renowned  Secret Trio in concerts sponsored by the Axion Estin Foundation, fusing the sounds of byzantine music with microtonal middle eastern, balkan music, and world music.

Eleftherios Eleftheriadis is  a graduate of the Macedonian Conservatoire of Thessaloniki, earning a degree in Byzantine Music in 1985, and a Diploma in Byzantine Music in 1989.  He also possesses a degree in Westerrn Music (Harmony),  which he earned in 1992. Beginning in 1997, he taught  Byzantine Music as a professor at Music Schools in Kavala, Serres, Katerini, Giannitsa,  and Thessaloniki until 2012. Also, since 1992 he has taught at Conservatories in Thessaloniki and throughout the region of Macedonia: Macedonian, Pentagram, Municipal Conservatory of Kalamaria, Municipal Conservatory of Veria, Municipal Conservatory of Moudania, Aristoxenio. He has served on graduate and diploma examination committees in Greece. In addition, he has served as a Master Chanter in parishes across Thessaloniki from 1989 to 2012. As a choirmaster, he led many concerts featuring traditional and Byzantine music throughout Greece. Since 2012, he has been living and working in New York City, where he participated in a number of concerts and seminars as Artistic Director and Choirmaster of the "Axion Estin" Foundation. He is currently the Master Chanter at the Saint Nicholas Church in Flushing and a music teacher at the William Spyropoulos Greek-American Day School in Flushing. He is a founding member of the Romanos the Melodist Chanter’s Society of New York and has been teaching Byzantine Music at both of the school’s locations since the syllogue’s inception.