Memos Pilaftsis

Memos Pilaftsis is a guitarist, composer, and music educator with an active artistic and teaching presence in Greece and abroad.

He holds a Master’s degree in Music Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), specializing in Instrumental and Vocal Performance – Jazz Performance and New Technologies, graduating with distinction (8.67/10). He is also a graduate of the University of Wolverhampton (UK), where he earned a First Class Honours BA in Popular Music.
n addition, he holds Grade 8 certifications in Electric Guitar Performance (University of West London) and Popular Music Theory (London College of Music).

He began his musical studies in 2000 at the National Conservatory of Nea Smyrni, studying classical guitar before continuing with electric guitar, harmony, and music theory studies under the guidance of Pantelis Gertsos.

Since 2008, he has attended numerous intensive seminars and workshops focusing on improvisation, orchestration, music technology, the Alexander Technique, the Orff educational system, and dramatherapy, studying with acclaimed Greek and international musicians such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg, Peter Bernstein, John Scofield, Nir Felder, Gilad Hekselman, Guthrie Govan, Joshua Redman, Larry Carlton, Brian Blade, as well as Grigoris Ntanis, Giotis Samaras, Takis Barberis, Antonis Ladopoulos, and Giorgos Kontrafouris.

He is professionally active as both a session and recording guitarist, collaborating with various artists and music projects in Greece and abroad. He has performed live at venues and festivals including Gazarte, Fuzz Club, Gagarin 205, Half Note Jazz Club, Afrikana, Gezgin Salon Festival and Salon IKSV in Turkey, as well as Jam House and Yardbird Jazz Club in the United Kingdom.

In recent years, he has recorded and performed live with bands and projects including The Rattler Proxy, TM&HF., B.N.C. & The Disco Vampire, Mani Deum, and Rosey Blue, while also leading his own Jazz Trio.

In 2025, he composed the Original Soundtrack & Score for the feature film “Don’t Laugh, They'll See You” directed by Nikolas Dimitropoulos. The film was screened at international film festivals including the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the San Francisco Greek Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, while also receiving theatrical distribution in Greece.

Alongside his artistic career, he is actively involved in music education, teaching guitar at Lab Music Education in Kifisia, focusing on creativity, improvisation, and a contemporary approach to music teaching.