Apostolos Palios is a concert pianist and PhD in Musicology. He has been described as “an exceptionally gifted musician and an amazing pianist” (Cyprien Katsaris), “an unusually talented, communicative and dedicated musician, possessing great finesse, expressiveness and a strong artistic identity” (Yonty Solomon), and as “one of the most distinctive pianists of our time” (Aldo Ciccolini).
Born in Karditsa, Greece, he holds a Piano and Music Theory Diploma from the Larissa Conservatory, a degree from the Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), where he was admitted as the top-ranking student, and a PhD from the same department, graduating with distinction. His doctoral dissertation focused on the life and work of the composer, pianist and pedagogue Loris Margaritis. He is also a graduate of the Universities of Music in Berlin and Leipzig, where he studied with G. Sava and M. Tomas, earning a Soloist Diploma and a Master’s degree, both with unanimous distinction and honours. Alongside his piano studies, he studied chamber music and orchestral conducting. His artistic development was decisively shaped by his studies with leading musicians such as A. Ciccolini, M. Perahia, C. Katsaris, Y. Solomon, R. Szidon and G. Chatzinikos.
He has been a scholarship recipient of the J. Costopoulos Foundation, the World in Harmony Foundation, the Free State of Saxony, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the State Scholarship Foundation of Greece (IKY). He has received prizes at international piano, chamber music and composition competitions in Greece and abroad, including Germany, Italy and Spain. Among his distinctions are a Commendation from the Academy of Athens, the Gina Bachauer Award of the World in Harmony Foundation, and the awards for “Best New Artist of the Year” and “Best Recording by a Greek Artist” from the Union of Greek Theatre and Music Critics.
As a soloist, he has performed at major international festivals and concert series in Greece, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Austria, Russia, Norway, Romania, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Chile, the United States and China. His appearances have included landmark venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Auditorio de Falla in Granada, the Herodion Theatre, and the Megaron Concert Halls in Athens and Thessaloniki. He has performed with all major Greek orchestras, as well as with prominent international ensembles and orchestras, including the Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada. His repertoire frequently features works receiving their world-premiere performances.
His discography includes, among other projects, collaborations with the renowned record label Naxos. He was also a member of the German piano quartet Aurora and the contemporary music ensemble Ergon Ensemble, and served as Artistic Director of the international concert series Young Classics.
He has taught at the Departments of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the University of Macedonia. Since 2026, he has been Assistant Professor of Piano Performance at the Department of Music Studies of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His research in the fields of historical musicology, musical analysis, and music interpretation and performance has been presented at Greek and international conferences and symposia, as well as published in academic journals.
As a conductor, he has conducted the Athens City Symphony Orchestra. He has also published the poetry collection En Eutheto Chrono (In Due Time), published by Ekkremes, Athens, in 2021.
