Mihail Makris was born in Athens in 1959. His father, Stylianos, was from Smyrna, Asia Minor, and his mother, Anastasia, from Constantinople. Her grandfather, Konstantios Vafiadis, was the Oeconomus (manager) of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and a professor at the Theological School of Halki. Sweet-voiced and prolific, he composed vast musical works.

Mihail Makris is married and has four children. He studied Byzantine Music at the Greek National Conservatoire under Christos Hatzinikolaou, European Music (advanced theory) under the evermemorable musicologist, Georgios Vokos, Chorus Direction under the conductor of the Greek National Opera, Mihalis Vourtsis, phonetics under the distinguished soprano professor, Keti Papalexopoulou, and finally, the piano under Voula Maihou.

He has received the following diplomas and degrees: Degree in Ecclesiastical Psalmody, Diploma in Byzantine Ecclesiastical Music, Byzantine Music Degree, Diploma in Music from the Naval Academy, Degree in Harmony, Degree in Counterpoint, Degree in Fugue, and Degree in Composition.

In 1977, Mihail Makris became a member of the then newly-founded Greek Byzantine Choir, which perhaps has been the most well-known byzantine choir having held over 1,000 events in Greece and in thirty countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, under the direction of Lykourgos Angelopoulos. Along with the Choir, he also participated in both the Athens and Epidaurus Festival, in 1987.

He is a Precentor, a music teacher at the Greek National Conservatoire and a high school, as well as the director of the Byzantine, Traditional Choir and Orchestra of the Greek National Conservatoire. Furthermore, he is the founder and director of the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Byzantine Choir (O.E.BY.CH.), which has held over 500 events (liturgies, vigils, concerts, etc) and produced 30 CDs and 2 DVDs during its 20-year active presence (1992-2012).

In 1983,, under the order of the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, Admiral Nikos Papas, he was in charge of the instruction and direction of the Byzantine and Traditional Choir of the Greek Navy, which participated in great, official events at the Presidential Mansion, the Prime Minister’s residence, the Naval Academy etc.

In 1985, he set up the school Choir of the 2nd High School of Acharnes, Attica, which, for 27 years, has been interpreting works of Ancient Greek, Folk, Byzantine and Art Greek Music with incredible success.

In 1992, he founded the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Byzantine Choir.

In 1996, he set up an orchestra composed of traditional musical instruments, which, until now and along with the Choir, has undertaken the organization of numerous Greek traditional music events at educational institutions (high schools, colleges) and at Greek schools abroad aiming for the initiation of young people into our musical heritage.

In 2002, he founded the Children’s Musical Choir of O.E.BY.CH.

In September 2008, Mihail Makris, having accepted the proposal of the Director of the Greek National Conservatoire, Hara Kalomiri, undertook the instruction and direction of the Byzantine, Traditional Choir and Orchestra of the Greek National Conservatoire, organizing great and successful events.

In 2011, he was appointed director of the Byzantine Music School at the Greek National Conservatoire.

He has set to music doxastika and idiomela of unpublished services of the Holy Protection Monastery of the Theotokos and the Fathers of the Holy Mountain (poems of the late Gerassimos Micrayiannanitis and Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, respectively), which he went on to record with the Choir.

He has published articles on Byzantine Music in ecclesiastical and music journals, as well as his proposals concerning specialized issues of musicological interest.

His contribution and work have been recognized by prominent members of spiritual, political and social life, not only in Greece but also abroad, including His Most Godly Beatitude Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem, Metropolitan Bishops, university professors and the former President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Stephanopoulos.