Maria Koutsimpiri, producer of “The Elves of Tradition” and Antonis Karagiannakis, producer of the show “Fair Winds and Following Seas” are heading to the Dodecanese to document the Journey with Lyre and Bow, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Kasos Holocaust.
Ahead of this cultural gathering, Antonis Karagiannakis, a true son of Kasos, spoke to “The Elves of Tradition” just before both producers boarded the ship to the martyred island of the Dodecanese. They aim to capture the event’s highlights and share the material on future broadcasts of Voice of Greece, reaching Greeks worldwide.
This three-day event (October 25–27, 2024) includes a symposium featuring lectures by prominent scholars on Greek music—especially focusing on the various forms of the lyre—as well as mini-concerts by virtuoso performers from all regions where the lyre is celebrated. The event will culminate in two grand (almost all-night) concerts, with all musicians participating, and a hands-on experience for attendees as they join the traditional Saint Demetrius festival in the village of Arvanitochori on Kasos.
This gathering will revive the historic International Lyre and Bowed String Meetings that began in Kasos in 1992, marking an essential event for Greek music by preserving forgotten melodies and promoting Kasos’ cultural heritage on a national and international level.
Additional events will feature Kasos musicians performing alongside lyre musicians (and other bowed instrument players) from various regions, creating captivating on-stage collaborations within emblematic cultural venues.
Produced and presented by Maria Koutsimpiri