Vasilis Saleas (real name Vasileios Panagiotopoulos), a Greek clarinetist of Romani descent, was born in Mesolongi on 11 December 1958. He began playing the clarinet at age nine under his father's guidance and performed his first concert two years later. By 14, he had mastered the instrument and later recorded his debut disc, Choreyte Me Ton (1980). His career took off with collaborations including working with Dionisis Savopoulos and Vangelis in the early 1990s. His solo albums include Orama: Vassilis Saleas Plays Vangelis (1996), Litany (1997) and Fasma (2001). Notable collaborations include Chrysalis, featuring compositions by Mimis Plessas, released in 2004. He put out releases sporadically in the 2010s before returning with the Ahmet Koç collaborative LP Daphne in 2021.
