AN ISLAND OF CELEBRATIONS

Masters of Cretan music

The music of Crete is one of the richest in Europe, and, curiously, it is also one of the least well-known. Because of its geographic location, this island has absorbed the influences of East and West for thousands of years, and its music reflects this synthesis in a unique manner. It is essentially a music to dance to, one that brings life to village festivals on the island. The king instrument is the lyra, a small fiddle that is related to the Bulgarian gadulka. But Crete holds other musical treasures, like the famous rizitika repertoire – epics sung over slow and haunting melodies, that are of a mesmirising refinement and beauty.

Vasilis Stavrakakis : chant
Giorgos Manolakis : luth laouto, chant
Zachaias Spiridakis : vièle lyra
Giannis Papatzanis : percussions

This concert will be preceded by that of Soloists from Bulgaria.