Saturday, March 16, 7:00 p.m.

Niles West High School Auditorium
5701 West Oakton Street
Skokie, IL  60077


Admission: $25
$20 for 18 and under


For reservations
or
more information call:
847-729-3406
847-657-0958
or
E-mail us @ orpheus@ohfs.org

Make Checks Payable to:
Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society (OHFS)
606 Greendale Rd
Glenview, IL 60025

For mail orders add $1.00 for shipping and handling
Allow 7-10 days to process mail orders

Free Parking

Part 1

KIKLADES

Music, Songs & Dances from the Kiklades Islands. The main instruments are violin and laouto, sometimes accompanied by tsabouna (the islands’ bagpipe). Ballos and syrtos are the most famous dances in this region.

Part 2

KITHIRA

Music, Songs, & Dances from Kithira, a unique blend of influences from Southern Greece - Crete, Western Greece - Eptanisa, the mainland Peloponissos and the music of Western Kiklades.

Part 3

DODEKANISSA

Music, Songs, & Dances from the twelve islands in the Southeast Aegean Sea - like Rhodes, Patmos, Kos, Nisiros.

Part 4

NORTHEAST AEGEAN

Music, Songs & Dances from the Northeast Aegean with more eastern influences. From the first zeybekiko dance of the island of Samothraki to the ikariotiko dance of Ikaria and the pirgousiko dance of Chios.

With
“NIKOS EKONOMIDIS & THE KEROS MUSIC ENSEMBLE”

Nikos Ekonomidis, violin / vocal

Antonis Koutsokeris, laouto

Giorgos Vasilopoulos, percussion (tubaki)

Kaiti Koulia, vocal

Kostas Papaprokopiou, laouto

Nikos Karatasos, santouri

Fragiskos Tziotakis, tsabouna

Thodoris Georgopoulos, souravli / klarino

Chrisoula Galathri, percussion (toubec)

Katerina Mitropoulou, vocal / oud

Nikos Ekonomidis is one of the most highly acclaimed violin players in Greece. He was born on the island of Shinousa in the Kiklades to a musical family. His interest in music was sparked by his grandfather and father, both well-known violinists.  Ekonomidis studied classical violin at the Athenian Odium under Ismini Carter-Chrysochoos and at the National Odium with Kosta Setta.  At the same time, he never ceased to research and study the style of music that interested him the most, that is, traditional music.   He began his professional career at the age of 15 with Dora Stratou and involves himself in the official registration of our national music, from Evros to Cyprus, in records and films for the national TV network.  He is engaged in teaching traditional music and archiving traditional pieces like those included in the records "Perasma sta Kythira" and "Sea Passages" containing songs executed by himself, along with Mariza Koh and others.

Ekonomidis recorded and released two albums, "Arhondisa tou Limaniou" (Mistress of the Seaport) and "Choros sta kymata" (Dance in the Waves), and two others "Agapi kai Thalassa" (Love and Sea) and "Otan akoun to violi" (When I Listen to the Violin) with Eleni Lekaki, which were both very successful.  Songs from those records, such as "Opa Opa" and "Gianda na min theleis gianda" became big hits throughout the country.  He has participated in International Festivals and has contributed to the formation of traditional music bands such as   "Keros" and "Akrites".  He has worked with many great artists of  traditional music (Chronis Aidonidis, Domna Samiou, etc.) as well as Mariza Koh, Haris Alexiou, Giorgos Dalaras at the Music Megaron of Athens and in concerts in Greece and abroad.  Ekonomidis has taught traditional music at the University of Southern Maine as part of a cultural exchange program sponsored by the ministry of Aegean and U.S.M.  He is currently preparing to release "Nissiotiki Zigia", a record with traditional songs from the western Cyclades and other neighboring regions.   During the summers, he gives concerts accompanied by the music group "Keros".  In 1998, Nikos Ekonomidis completed the research and registering of the musical tradition of the North and East Aegean, which he presented to the public in a record entitled "East of the Aegean" released by Verso.  Recently, he completed the research and registering of the traditional music of Amorgos which is presented in the record "Passage to Amorgos", released by Keros Music.  In his record we find remarkable artists such as Domna Samiou, Giasemi Saragoula, Popi Kovaiou and others.