Monday 13th of July will be the beginning of the 13th annual Summer Music Seminars in ‪Labyrinth Musical Workshop‬ in Crete / Greece. I will be teaching this first week a seminar entitled “The instrument as a voice” where, in a music group studying modal musics from Balkans and Middle-East we will research, how the concept of singing (both physically and metaphysically) can inform and inspire the practice of every musician, be it instrument playing, interpretation of score music, improvisation, composition etc.

Also in August, 6-9 the 6th ‪‎HoudetsiFestival‬ will take place. Looking forward for this amazing event, with hundreds of concerts and musicians travelling to Crete at this time!

It seems a nice time to remember a wonderful concert from last years Houdetsi Festival (the 5th), with Michalis Kouloumis on the Violin. After all the programed concerts finish, very near the sunrise, improvised concerts happen (this one in “Patitiri” for whoever has been to the village)… Many thanks to Peter Macrae Jaques and Thodoris Pintzopoulos for being there and recording the concert!
After a long improvisation where we ‘travel’ through the makams Pencgah, Nikriz, Nihavent, Kurdilihicazkar, Hicazkar, Saba and some other unknown to us, we end up playing wonderful composition by Armenian composer Kemani Tatyos Efendi – Ekserciyan (1858 – 1913).
Enjoy!