Ancient Greek lyre workshop and concert stops at the Lila Music and Nature Centre in Duncan on March 23
Hear the heavenly sounds of the ancient Greek lyre as Lutherios presents the ‘Gift of the Gods’ Tour which travels across Vancouver Island from March 22 though April 2, making a stop in Duncan on March 23.
“We had the chance to travel to Vancouver Island two years ago and felt really blessed to meet beautiful people with an interest in ancient Greek culture and music so we planned to come back this year,” said the Lutherios team. “What’s more, Anne Schaefer, a member of the first Lyre Camp featuring workshops and concerts that takes place in Aegina Island once per year travelled all the way to participate. We really can’t wait to share the sound of the lyre with more people during the concerts but also the lyre workshops that will take place during these days.”
Luthieros are the Koumartzis family of artisans and musicians who research, design, and build instruments based on ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine designs and perform the music of these cultures on their custom, handmade instruments.
The performers are Thanasis Kleopas (lyre and voice), who has performed live worldwide on an ancient Greek lyre drawing inspiration from Greek folk music; and Theodoros Koumartzis (lyre), a member of the Lutherios family of luthiers and the visionary behind the pioneering SEIKILO Museum of Ancient Music in Thessaloniki, which is the first in the world where visitors can interact with all its exhibited artifacts, ancient instruments, and have hands-on experiences with them. His multifaceted musical journey has encompassed the founding of two bands.
They are joined by Marios Podaras (pandura), a prolific multi-instrumentalist focusing on ancient and contemporary string instruments, such as the pandura and the violin. His extensive education in classical music began at the age of four. He performs with bands in Greece and abroad allowing him to highlight his talents across genres, ranging from rebetiko, rock, blues, and jazz to psychedelic music.
Lovers of Greek culture will be psyched as the tour stops at the Lila Music and Nature Centre in Duncan on March 23. There will be a workshop offered from 2 to 4 p.m., led by Kleopas and Koumartzis.
“They will share their different approach in order to highlight the sound of this beautiful instrument to everyone, as this workshop is designed not only for musicians, but also for people with no music background,” said the Lutherios team. “We strongly believe that this is the way to revive it in the modern world.”
The workshop will be followed by an evening concert from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 for each event or $50 for both, and can be purchased at the door.
Those further south can enjoy the same experience in Victoria on March 22 at James Bay United Church. The tour will also be making a stop at the University of Victoria inside Room A104 of the Bob Wright Centre on March 24 for an interactive exhibition and live lyre performance from 5 to 6 p.m. Those further north can take part in a lyre workshop on March 26 at 1214 College Dr. from 3 to 4 p.m., in Nanaimo.
To get a taste of what to expect, visit the SEIKILO Ancient World Music YouTube channel.
For more information, or to reserve tickets email Anne at anne@anneschaefer.com.
“The concerts will give attendees the chance to dive into a meaningful sound journey, starting with an ancient melody, travelling around the traditional Greek music and landing on new melodies that were recently recorded in the album Sacred Harmony,” said the Lutherios team. “The workshops, on the other hand, will give the chance for a hands on experience with some of the finest lyres reconstructed in Greece by Luthieros Music Instruments and the Koumartzis Family. Participants will also have the chance to get advice and suggestions by the tutors and learn more about the Lyre Academy, the first online platform to learn how to play the lyre.”
