Christos Rafalides

Born and raised in Greece, where he completed his studies in classical percussion. After receiving a scholarship from Berklee College of Music, he moved to Boston, attaining a BA in Jazz Vibraphone Performance, and later moved to New York, where he graduated from Manhattan School of Music earning his MA in Jazz Vibraphone Performance. He found his personal voice when he established Manhattan Vibes, a band that has appeared in many of NYC’s cutting-edge venues featuring renowned guest soloists such as Randy Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, Donny McCaslin, Antonio Sánchez, Mark Ledford, Sam Newsome, Keith Carlock, etc. He has recorded with Chaka Khan, Christy Baron, Randy Brecker, The Charles Mingus “Epitaph” Band featuring bassist Christian McBride and conductor Gunther Schuller, The Harmony Ensemble of New York, Joe Locke, Jovanotti, Louie Vega, Sergio Salvatore, Giovanni Mirabassi, Antonio Sánchez, Hector Martignon, John Benitez and others. He has also appeared with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center in New York City. Christos has also collaborated and recorded with some of Greece’s most prominent composers and musicians, among which Mimis Plessas, Dimitra Galani, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Dimitris Kalantzis, to name a few. Christos is endorsed by Musser Vibraphones, Vic Firth mallets and Pearl’s malletSTATION. He makes his home in New York City.