Harris Lambrakis

ABOUT

Harris Lambrakis was born and raised in Athens, and started playing music at a very young age under many good teachers. He graduated from the Music High School of Pallini and the Music Department of the University of Athens with direction in ethnomusicology. He was fortunate to collaborate with internationally renowned musicians such as Haig Yazdjian, Savina Yannatou, Michalis Siganidis, Ross Daly, Kostas Tatsakis, Periklis Papapetropoulos, Christos Tsiamoulis, Antonis Apergis, Stefano Battaglia, Bijan Chemirani, Michel Doneda and many others. For the last 30 years he have been participating in recordings and concerts worldwide. He also teaches ney, giving seminars and masterclasses in Greece and abroad. Since 2018 he is in charge of Intercultural Orchestra of GNO.

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CALENDAR & BLOG (click on each title for more)

14.9.2024 till June 2025 The musics of the mainland Greece (seminar)

The announcement (in greek)

This September begins a new annual cycle around the music of mainland Greece. The lessons are addressed to all instruments, even those that are not used in local traditions. We will focus mainly on the repertoire, rhythm and color of each region. Meetings will be held live twice a month, in Athens on Saturday mornings (10:00-14:00). For more information you can contact harris.lambrakis@gmail.com

10.10.2024 till June 2025 The makam of Istanbul (seminar)

The announcement of the seminar

This online masterclass developed as training course on the makam of Istanbul or the Ottoman makam in general. The central idea is the makam to be approached in practice with as much as possible repertoire and less talk. Important role in this process have the old sound recordings and practice on the instrument. Where appropriate and feasible, the repertoire extends beyond the Ottoman music. At the base, however, of the process remains the analysis of the old recordings (taksim, gazel and compositions). The masterclass covers all relative instruments may approach the particular music genre. Meetings will be held on Zoom every Thursday (19:00-22:00 Greek time). For more information you can contact harris.lambrakis@gmail.com

16.11.2024 Concert with Savina Yannatou and Salonico trio at Unterfahrt, Munich

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17.11.2024 Concert with Savina Yannatou and Salonico trio at Zig Zag, Berlin

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19.11.2024 Live with Michalis Siganidis at Black Duck, Athens

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23.11.2024 Live with Smari at Baumstrasse, Athens

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27.11-1.12.2024 Seminar with Katerina Douka in Komotini "Songs, Music and Dances from the refugees of Rhodope"

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14.12.2024 Live with Indenesian composer and pianist Dwiki Dharmawan at Jazzet, Athens

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21.12.2024 Live with Harris Lambrakis Quartet at Baumstrasse, Athens

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22.12.2024 Live with Barakos Orchestra at Baumstrasse

The twelve-member orchestra created to honor the memory of Giorgos Barakos, presents its original compositions on the Baumstrasse stage. Entry with free contribution.

The website of the venue "Baumstrasse" in Athens
The Facebook event

18.1.2025 Live with Harris Lambrakis Quartet at Alogokrito, Athens

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24.1.2025 Live with Giorgos Dimitriadis at KET, Athens

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25.1.2025 Concert with Smari ensemble at Megaron, Athens

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31.1.2025 Concert with Harris Lambrakis Quartet in Kalamata

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1.2.2025 Live with Harris Lambrakis Quartet in Patras

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2.2.2025 Live with Harris Lambrakis Quartet in Korinthos

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7.2.2025 Concert with Harris Lambrakis Quartet in Goulandris Museum, Athens

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8.2.2025 Live with Giorgos Ventouris and "The broken quartet" at Zp87, Athens

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15.2.2025 Live with Giuseppe Doronzo at BlackBox festival

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22.2.2025 Live with Smari ensemble at Baumstrasse, Athens

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4-5-6-9-10-11.4.2025 Concerts with Smari at Alternative Stage, GNO

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14.5.2025 Concert with Vasilis Rakopoulos at Megaron, Athens

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blog post concert or live lessons or seminars archive

Harris Lambrakis Quartet

Nikos Sidirokastritis, Dimitris Tsekouras, Dimitris Theocharis, Harris Lambrakis
Live at Dizzy Miles

Live at Underflow, 2019

Nikos Sidirokastritis, Giorgos Varoutas, Harris Lambrakis, Arve Henriksen, Yan Bang, Anna Linardou

China

In tour with Savina Yannatou and Primavera en Salonico

Tatsakis - Lambrakis Duet

With Thodoris Papastathis, Thymios Atzakas
Live at Avlea

Savina Yannatou and Primavera en Salonico

Concert in Shenzhen

With Sinan Çelik

Rehearsing at Duygu Müzik Studio, Istanbul

OnEira 5tet

Bijan Chemirani, Pierlo Bertolino, Maryam Chemirani, Kevin Seddiki, Maria Simoglou, Harris Lambrakis

With Haig Yazdjian

Harris Lambrakis, Haig Yazdjian, Vangelis Karipis, Kostas Meretakis
Live in Athens

Tinos World Music Festival

Nedyalko Nedyalkov, Harris Lambrakis, Vangelis Karipis, Martha Mavroidi, Yurdal Tokcan, Haig Yazjian, Giorgos Ventouris, Giotis Kiourtzoglou

With Rachid Zeroual Quartet

Concert in Erricetta Festival, Rome

With Ross Daly Orchestra

Concert in Patras

Cyprus Music Village

With Michalis Siganidis

Concert in Music Meeting Festival, Nijmegen

CURRENT PROJECTS

Harris Lambrakis Quartet
Crene Music Productions

Harris Lambrakis Quartet was formed in 2006 and plays its original music inspired by different genres; modal jazz, greek music, music of the eastern Mediterranean and improvisational music. We already have published three albums, Théa (2010, independent production), Metéora (2012, Artway Technotropon/Polytropon Technis) and Lafina (2023, with the kind support of Dance that jazz! and Crene Music Productions). Currently, Harris Lambrakis Quartet collects the material for its next album.

The song "Lafina" from the recording of our new album, filmed by Fotis Papatheodorou. Dimitris Theocharis (piano), Dimitris Tsekouras (double bass), Nikos Sidirokastritis (drums) and Harris Lambrakis (ney).

modal jazz greek music

MORE MUSIC FROM HARRIS LAMBRAKIS QUARTET

Skraut
Underflow Records

Skraut is the group we formed together with Giorgos Varoutas (live sound processing) and Simos Riniotis (drums, objects). Skraut's signature sound emerges from a blend of acoustic and electronic soundscapes, where the natural timbres (drums, various small objects, ney) are combined with electronic processing in real time. Balancing between liminal spaces, a meeting occurs: one that can be defined as a deconstruction attempt of time and genres, a congregation of organic sounds and technology.

Our album "Unearthed" was recorded in Athens in 2023 and 2024 and released as LP by Underflow Records.

Live at Underflow Records (Athens, 2023).
electronic music improvisational music

MORE MUSIC FROM SKRAUT

The Solo Project
Indepentend

More than 20 years now, I keep working on a solo project that focuses on the sound of the ney and on every musical element exists around us.

Live at Fones Music Club (Athens, 1999).
ney improvisational music

MORE MUSIC FROM THE SOLO PROJECT

Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico
ECM Records

As a member of the group Primavera en Salonico, I participate since 1996 in numerous concerts in Greece and around the world, while I took part in 6 album recordings ("Songs of the Mediterranean", "Virgin Maries of the world", "Terra Nostra", "Tutti baci", "Sumiglia" and "Songs of an other"). Recently our new album "Songs of Thessaloniki" released by ECM Records.

The video was performed and recorded in Bimhuis in Amsterdam for VPRO, Vrije Geluiden telecast.
Savina Yannatou (voice), Kostas Vomvolos (qanun), Kyriakos Gouventas (violin), Yannis Alexandris (oud), Michalis Siganidis (double bass), Kostas Theodorou (percussion) and Harris Lambrakis (ney).

world music armenian music

MORE MUSIC FROM SAVINA YANNATOU & PRIMAVERA EN SALONICO

Michalis Siganidis
MLK Records

I have been contributing mostly as a hammond organ player for the past 20 years alongside Michalis Siganidis, one of the most influential Greek musicians and poets.

Live at Six D.O.G.S. (Athens, October 2014).
tape music greek music

MORE MUSIC FROM MICHALIS SIGANIDIS

WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES

The seminars and masterclasses I've given so far are divided into four main categories:
     a. The makam of Istanbul
     b. Greek repertoire for ney and other instruments
     c. Rhythmic improvisation in modal music
     d. Free improvisation

a. The makam of Istanbul

This masterclass developed as training course on the makam of Istanbul or the Ottoman makam in general. The central idea is the makam to be approached in practice with as much as possible repertoire and less talk. Important role in this process have the old sound recordings and practice on the instrument. Where appropriate and feasible, the repertoire extends beyond the Ottoman music. At the base, however, of the process remains the analysis of the old recordings (taksim, gazel and compositions). The masterclass covers all relative instruments may approach the particular music genre.

ATHENS (2014-2024)
VOLAX (2023)
ACCADEMIA CHIGIANA/LABYRINTH (2020, 2021)
LABYRINTH ONLINE (2020)
FRANCE (2019)
CYPRUS (2015, 2016)

b. Greek repertoire for ney and other instruments

In this workshop we focus on repertoire and the local idioms from various regions of Greece (Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly, Roumeli, Peloponnese, Aegean Islands) and other countries, associated with the traditions of the Balkan peninsula and especially of Greece. The workshop explores ways of adapting "local" techniques on the ney and other similar instruments (oud, kanun, saz, lyre etc.)

ATHENS (2024-2025)
LABYRINTH - ROSS DALY (2018, 2019)
MUSIC VILLAGE (2010, 2011)
MOUSIKI SINAXI (2010)
APT-FRANCE (2007)

c. Rhythmic improvisation in modal music

Improvisation, or taksim, is an extremely widespread term in modal music. In many instances, rhythm is added to the equation and then we can say that we have modal rhythmic improvisation (or more simply the rhythmic solo). The musician is called to build solos into a given rhythm, usually derived from the repertoire of a particular region. In this workshop we work on various methods to approach rhythmic improvisation, taking as a starting point repertoires familiar to the musicians involved. Then, we examine the structures and forms of improvisation that have been developed through various music traditions.

CODARTS - ROTTERDAM (2012)
LABYRINTH - ROSS DALY (2012-2016, 2020, 2022, 2024)
NICOSIA (2012)

d. Free improvisation

Free improvisation (or whatever it is called periodically, free jazz or improvised music), is specific in terms of the objectives but extremely broad in regards to the material which it treats. Focusing mainly on group dynamics and mutual trust, the key objective of this seminar has been the mutual communication of the participants, without being concerned with which music materials were to be used by each. The act was often revealing, and the fact that many musicians with non-Western instruments participated in the seminar, added new features and sounds to the whole free improvisation scope and spectrum.

LABYRINTH - ROSS DALY (2007-2011, 2017, 2023)
UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS (2012)
ORFF SCHULWERK - GREECE (2023, 2024)