WINDCRAFT MUSIc FEST
WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS
WINDS OF TRADITION
The wind instruments in the Balkans and in the Greek traditional and contemporary art (entechno) repertoire.
The musical tradition of the Balkans is synonymous with the wind instruments. In Greek traditional music, brass instruments and the clarinet are also prominent, while the saxophone, with its sonic flexibility, has in recent years assumed a special role in contemporary traditional music.
In this three-day seminar led by saxophonist and clarinetist Giannis Diskos, we will explore the multiple roles of wind instruments in the music of the Balkans (Bulgaria, Serbia, Northern Macedonia), in the musical tradition of various regions of Greece and in the Greek entechno repertoire. Through 6 independent modules, we will learn about phrasing, rhythms and improvisation in these musical genres while preparing a short repertoire to be presented at the end of the workshop.
Giannis Diskos is an accomplished clarinetist and saxophonist from Edessa. He grew up in a musical family, with the sounds of the tradition of northern Greece and the Balkans. He has participated in numerous recordings of the Greek discography and has performed alongside important Greek singers. He has been a main member of the band Imam Baildi since the beginning, and is now the conductor and arranger of the band of the successful ERT TV series "Mousiko Kouti".
At least basic skills on any wind instrument is a prerequisite for participating in this seminar. Percussionists are invited to join!
The seminar will conclude with a short concert on the last day of the festival.
Registration necessary!
Accommodation options: Free camping site with amenities. Apartments and hotels in nearby villages Galata, Kakopetria and Kalopanagiotis (15-20 minutes drive).
PARTICIPATION FEE: €50 / 15 hours (does not include admission to concerts).
SONGS OF TRADITION
In this three-day seminar we will experience the participation in a vocal ensemble through a two-way process: by using our voice in order to form the ensemble together with the other voices and also by allowing our voice to be heard and to stand out in the context of exploration and learning. Our final goal is the performance of songs specially arranged for an acapella vocal ensemble.
Our repertoire will be drawn from the musical traditions of our broader region. We will first study the structural and stylistic characteristics of the songs and we will then work on simple arrangements of the same, for two or three voices.
Elena Xyda was born in Nicosia. She studied the piano, the oboe and singing as a child and teenager. During her studies in classical singing in Conservatori Superior de Musica del Liceu in Barcelona, she discovered the Eastern Mediterranean modal musical traditions, on which she eventually focused. For several years she participated in seminars held in Labyrinth Musical Workshop in Crete (such as Ottoman singing, Bulgarian singing, Persian music, rhythmic improvisation, lavta). She studied the lavta with Periklis Papapetropoulos and makam theory and practice with Harris Lambrakis. She also has extended experience in the Greek urban folk singing style of the period between the two World Wars and she has collaborated with renowned musicians both in Cyprus and in Greece. She is currently dedicated in teaching traditional singing and conducting Windcraft’s vocal ensemble as well as the traditional singing ensemble of the Ayioi Omoloyites Cultural Workshop.
Basic experience in the use of voice is a prerequisite for participating in this seminar.
The seminar will conclude with a short concert on the last day of the festival.
Registration necessary!
Accommodation options: Free camping site with amenities. Apartments and hotels in nearby villages Galata, Kakopetria and Kalopanagiotis (15-20 minutes drive).
PARTICIPATION FEE: €50 / 15 hours (does not include admission to concerts).