Michael Efthymios Chalkias

Michael–Efthymios Chalkias is a first-year student at the Music High School of Larissa and studies piano at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (Advanced Level I), under the guidance of the distinguished pianist Vassilis Varvaresos. He is an excellent student, having graduated from junior high school with a perfect overall grade of 20/20. In 2020, he received a distinction in the literary competition “Young Writers” organized by Ellinoekdotiki, with his text included in the collective volume “With My Thoughts I Embrace the World.” In April 2024, he participated as an active performer in the piano workshop “Interpreting the Score” at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, led by G. Papadopoulos and V. Varvaresos. In May of the same year, he took part as an active participant in the Piano Masterclass of E. Eunouchidou, במסגרת the Thessaloniki Piano Festival. In January 2025, he appeared as a soloist in the “Piano Open Days” program at the Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall. In March 2025, he was awarded Third Prize in his age category at the International Bach Competition, and in the same month he won First Prize at the 1st Panhellenic Piano Competition in Xanthi. In April 2025, he received a Special Mention at the international competition Classical Music Stars. In May 2025, he performed at MOMus as part of the program “Music at the Museum.” On November 6, 2025, he participated as an active performer in a piano masterclass given by Professor Saša Gerželj-Donaldson from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. On November 22, 2025, he appeared as a soloist in the concert “Young Talents of Classical Music” at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. Since November 2025, he has been a scholarship recipient of the Mavromoustakis Foundation and is scheduled to participate in an international piano seminar in Pistoia, Italy, in July 2026. On March 10, 2026, he took part as an active participant in a piano masterclass led by the internationally renowned pianist Ran Dank at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, and on March 15, 2026, he participated in a piano masterclass with instructor L. Vasileiadis at the Music School of Larissa. From March 20–22, 2026, he presented a paper (following selection) at the ACSTAC conference of Anatolia College, titled “When AI Plays the Keys.” In 2026, he was awarded First Prize as a piano soloist (in the 14–18 age category) at the international competition NY Classical Debut Awards, as part of which he will perform at the celebratory Gala Concert on July 14 at Carnegie Hall in New York. This month, he is preparing a professional video recording for his participation in the international competition Anton Rubinstein – Piano Junior 2026, whose final round will take place live at the Beethoven Conservatory in Venlo, Netherlands. In April 2026, he is also scheduled to participate in the 6th Franz Liszt Center International Online Piano Competition. At the same time, he regularly gives solo performances in concerts organized by the Music School of Larissa and the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki.