Pavlos Fortomas was born in Athens. He was taught the first practical lessons of the art of chanting with persistence and love, in a very small age, by his father, Evangelos, who was a chanter himself and who has experienced them, born in Pirgos of Tinos and raised in Smirni.
          He began attending systematically courses of Byzantine Music, when he was nine years old, by the Master Music Tutor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Theodosios Georgiadis. After completing a long term with him, he continues his studies in the Athens Conservatory, with Ioannis Margaziotis and Spiridon Peristeris as his teachers.
          However his zeal for the deeper secrets of the Byzantine musical art and his thirst for learning, lead him to the last of the Great Tutors, THRASIVOULOS STANITSAS, who served for many years as Master Head Chanter in the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople, from whom he is taught and he completes his musical education and continues to work with him, all the next years.
          Several years after the passing of Thrasivoulos Stanitsas, and having satisfied his Teacher’s demand not to receive a Music Degree by another Teacher while he was alive, Pavlos Fortomas  became a student of Emmanouil Hatzimarkos, the famous Head Chanter and Musicologist, by whom he received Music Degree and Diploma, having obtained from this great Teacher also, a great deal of knowledge;  ever since they are also bound with a close friendship. 
          In 1984 Thrasivoulos Stanitsas, urges him to establish his Byzantine choir, recognising him officially as “a man who carries on the patriarchal tradition”  with his intimate autograph dedication.
          The Byzantine Choir that consists of 40 regular members, is a gift of auditory  learning in expression and punctuality, as well as of deep sensitivity and perfect training in the Byzantine musical art.
          Pavlos Fortomas and his Choir has become internationally well-known for the consistency of his work in the continuation of the authentic Byzantine Patriarchal music, as well as in its faithful registration and strict execution.
          His purpose and ardent desire is to transfer as well as to communicate in meaning and knowledge, the greatness and the imperishable art of the hearings of the Byzantine Patriarchal Hymnody, to the whole Greece and especially to the young people, and even in all the Greeks and the foreigners abroad. He also deals with the folk traditional songs of our country, which he transfers musically from their European writing, to the Byzantine one. These are the “Byzantine Songs”
          He has also visited and performed in many parts of Greece such as Paros, ldra, Ioannina, Vitina, Crete, Livadia, Thessaloniki, Volos, Lamia, Mistras, Mitilini, Atalanti, Artemida, Aspropirgos etc.
          He has also visited as official guest of the Hellenic Embassy in the United States, of the Monastery of Kikos in Cyprus and of the  Government  of Malta, always experiencing the same intimacy and acceptance, in the full performance of the Byzantine Patriarchal Music.
          In Athens, where Pavlos Fortomas was born and raised, he has appeared with his choir in the hall of the “Parnassos Literature Association” in the Archaeological Society,  in the “Estia” of Nea Smirni as well as in the hall of the Opera House, in Christmas of 1988. Also he had been hosting in ERA 1 a half—hourly show with  byzantine hymns for two years. He had been presenting in ET 2 with his choir for many years a series of shows with byzantine hymns, as well as with traditional Folk songs with great ratings and receptivity.
          He has also recorded church hymns and services in more than 35 tapes and CDs.
          Pavlos Fortomas has also dealt with the writing of the Byzantine Music.  He has   published a theoretical book under the title “Entrance to Byzantine Music”, as well as a series of Byzantine Music Books;  beginning with “Mousiko Eortologio” a seven-volume series that contains the services of  Feasts And Saints through the year, he carried on with his “Divine Liturgy”, the “Byzantine Holy Week”, the Matins, the Vespers and he recently published the “Byzantine Triodion” that contains hymns of the Holy Lent. He is about to publish his Pentikostarion, thus completing his series of books, all according to the tradition of the genuine Patriarchal Hymnody.
          Pavlos Fortomas has been repeatedly awarded with many honorary distinctions, during the tireless and conscientious execution of his work.

• A diploma and a medal for the 2300 years of the Municipality of Thessaloniki in 1985.
• He has been awarded with the lst Prize and medal, including a money prize) of the 2nd  Contest Meeting of Byzantine Choirs from all over Greece held by the Municipality of Leivadia in 1987.  The Panel was formed by Charilaos Taliadoros, Master Head Chanter of the Holy Diocese of Constantinople, Emmanouil Hatzimarkos, Head Chater and Musicologist, Christos Hatzinikolaou, Honorary President of the Panhellenic Union of Chanters “Saints John of Damascus and Roman the Melodist” and N. Georgakopoulos, Head Chanter and Professor of Music.
• He was awarded, a special medal in 1990 by the Academician Vassos Falireas, during an official ceremony, by the Medical-literary House, where other 17 outstanding Greeks were also rewarded such as  Ioanna Tsatsou, the former President of the Republic Michael Stasinopoulos, University professors, writers and other people, for their cultural and social contribution.
• An honorary diploma of  “Chanter’s Year l992” signed by the late Archbishop of Athens and all Greece Christodoulos and by the Minister of Culture Mrs. Anna Psarouda — Benaki.

          In 1994 Pavlos Fortomas has founded the first ecclesiastical  department store titled “AINOS & YMNOS” that disposes church items, Holy Utensils, church and religious books, tapes and CDs of byzantine music and many other objects. This place, besides its practical service, for the needs of the representation and the knowledge of the Orthodox cult, is also a breath of soul, away from the dullness and the noises of the street. A special classroom for the rehearsals and the needs of the choir has been created in the same area of the store.
          The personality, the prestige and the consistency of the offer of Pavlos Fortomas in Byzantine Patriarchal Music, ranks him among the first and unique people who continue our Greek and genuine tradition.  
          At the peak of his experience and knowledge, Pavlos Fortomas is the Head Chanter of  Saint Andrew Church in Ano Patissia, Athens,  and is available and willing to teach whoever might be interested in systematically learning and penetrating the deeper secrets of the Byzantine Chanting Art. For relevant information, please contact the Head Chanter Mr. Pavlos Fortomas in (+30) 210 5243740 or email address pavlosfortomas@gmail.com .