[1][2] Born in Athens into a musical family, Kavakos first learned to play the violin when he was five and later enrolled in the Hellenic Conservatory, studying with Stelios Kafantaris.

[3] An Onassis Foundation scholarship enabled him to attend master classes with Josef Gingold at Indiana University.

In 1991, the original version of Sibelius' Violin Concerto in D minor (mostly unknown to the world at large until then) was permitted a performance and a recording by Sibelius' heirs on the BIS record label; both original and final versions were played by Kavakos and conducted by Osmo Vänskä.

He has appeared throughout the UK with numerous orchestras, starting in 1992 with his performance of Igor Stravinsky's Violin Concerto at the BBC Proms.

64) with the Camerata, he was awarded with the ECHO-Klassik 2009 prize in the category "Recording of the Year – Concerts – 19th Century – Violin".

[8] On 1 July 2009, he announced his resignation from his position as artistic director that fall, explaining that he could not perform as artistic director in the face of ongoing turmoil in the ensemble's management (seven complete changes in eight years), a recent motion of no confidence in the current management passed by the ensemble's musicians, as well as the failure of musicians & staff to inform him of that vote, suggesting communication had completely broken down.

[10] As of 2017, Kavakos performs on the "Willemotte" Stradivarius of 1734, which he acquired from London and New York-based dealer and expert, Florian Leonhard.