Yiannis Chryssomallis, known professionally as Yanni was born November 14, 1954 in Kalamata, Greece, where he was a competitive swimmer with a national record. He earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and then turned to music as a self-taught pianist who could not read music, but had perfect pitch. Without training, he began composing with his own shorthand, becoming a keyboardist and later a producer. Sometimes known as John Yanni Christopher (probable translation).