David Bilides
Teaching Kariotikos to Greek language students in Arethusa, Ikaria 2006
David Bilides’ initial encounters with Balkan folk music were the weddings and dances of the Asia Minor Greek community in which he grew up in Connecticut. After hearing other Balkan music while attending international folk dancing in high school, he took the first of several trips to the Balkans in 1974, visiting Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. He learned dances, made field recordings, and collected instruments. On returning to the United States he taught himself the music and instruments, formed groups, and eventually began teaching others music and dance.
He continues to play and teach music from Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey on a variety of traditional instruments in the US and abroad. David is a frequent guest performer with different groups and at traditional folk music and dance events across the country. Currently he is collaborating with fellow Seattle resident, Macedonian singer Dragi Spasovski. David lives in Seattle with his wife, artist and musician Sandra Dean, and is the head counselor at a public middle school.