Yiotis Samaras was born in 1956 in Budapest. He studied guitar at the Bela Bartok Conservatory and began to be part of the Hungarian jazz scene very early playing with several considerable musicians (Tony Lakatos, Fusti Balogh etc.).

Since settling in Greece in 1981 he has collaborated with well-known artists and took part in many recordings, concerts and festivals. In the early '90s he was one of the founding members of the group Page One. He has played with most of the significant Greek musicians. For many years he is a member of a duo with bassist Kostas Konstantinou.