The Gennadiυs Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens is once again hosting award winning American ethnomusicologist Christopher C. King. A celebration of Epirotic musical culture will take place on Thursday, November 30 at 7.00pm in Cotsen Hall.

In this musical lecture entitled “When violin was King”, Christopher King unfolds, through his unique methodology, the history of the music of Epirus, this time placing the violin at the center. He will be playing rare commercial 78s from the beginning of the 20th century in an attempt to restore the primary position held by this musical instrument in Epirus orchestral music. The presentation will be moderated by Andreas Zombanakis, President of the Board of Overseers of the Gennadius Library, while musicians Kostas Karapanos (violin), Aurel Qirjo (violin) and Marios Toubas (laouto) will perform traditional Epirotic music.

A special public presentation, a free-form dialogue, where all participants explore together the musical-historical theme of the evolution and adaptation of music of Epirus. Christopher C. King, on the early historical role of the violin, recounts the archeology of Epirus acoustics. This is a rare opportunity for fans of traditional music and the culture of Epirus to participate in such a musical celebration.

The event will be held in English and in Greek, while there will be simultaneous translation.

Free admission.

Christopher C. King is an American ethnomusicologist, writer, producer, and advocate of traditional music. In 2002 he won a Grammy Award in the Best Historical Album category. In 2018 he wrote a book about the traditional folk music of northwestern Greece, “Lament from Epirus” (published by W. W. Norton & Company), and in the same year it was translated into Greek by DOMA publications (Greek title: Ηπειρώτικο Μοιρολόι).

Kostas Karapanos was born in the city of Ioannina, Greece, in 1974, and has been playing the violin since the age of twelve. He holds a diploma in classical violin, while at the same time, he engaged with the traditional music of Greece, with an emphasis on the region of Epirus.

Aurel Qirjo was born in 1964 in Korça, Albania. He has studied music all his life, becoming a violin teacher in Albania, Greece, and the United Kingdom after directing the symphony orchestra at the Academy of Music in Tirana and Korça. He has absorbed the idiomatic styles of southern Albanian and northern Greek music, being highly influenced by Etem Qerimi.

Marios Toubas was born in Ioannina in 1992. His occupation with music started at the age of 7 receiving private lessons in classical guitar and studying at “Tsakalov” music school in Ioannina. In 2013 he started playing folk guitar professionally. He has also been playing laouto and studying traditional music since 2016.