Workshops 2024

Lesson timetable: 17:00 - 20:00 (total of 21 hours)


The workshop’s objective is to present the participants with a representative sample repertoire of traditional music from some characteristic style of the Greek regions (Rebetiko and Asia Minor), as well as to delve into their basic idiomatic techniques concerning string instruments that accentuate each of the distinct styles researched. Development of:

- the main idiomatic fingerings/siding techniques

- Bowing techniques for performing (solo & comping) various rhythmic motives (even and prime rhythms) 

- Ornamentation techniques (ornaments, melismas, embellishment)

- Improvisation practice (taxim) in the Greek style with reference to the manner of performance of microtonals and modality (makam)

- Phrasing and the overall aesthetic of Greek traditional music (GTM). 

- Furthermore, the issues of arrangement and development of the various performing roles of string instruments within small string ensembles in the performance of GTM, will be addressed by employing a plethora of intrinsic timbre techniques of the instrument (rhythmic and harmony accompaniment by chop, pizzicato, chords, parallel voicings, ricochet, pedal etc.) 

The workshop’s ideal objective is, despite the participants' varied performing backgrounds, to expand their already developed technique to the performance of GTM and to cultivate communication channels and interactivity amongst them.  

Born in Athens in 1975. Studied classical violin in Athens and after taking his diploma continued his studies in Jazz music in Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Netherlands. Obtained his PhD degree in Violin performance from the Department of Musical Science & Art, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece. His doctoral thesis: “Ornamentation in Greek Traditional Violin Art” has been published by Orpheum publications (2013). Part of his research projects have been presented in international musicological conferences and have been published in relative musical periodicals and scientific publications. He also has a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

He has, for a long series of years, been performing as a violinist, in various music bands of traditional and popular Greek music, but also of Balkan and improvisational music on stage (festivals, concerts etc) in Greece and abroad. He is co-founder of Rebetien band, Rebetiko Trio with V. Skoutas & D. Mitarakis, ZaPaTaVou Quarter and contemporary quartet of alternative strings “Frog String Quartet”. 

Since 2007 he has been appointed the seat of Teaching Assistant in violin and other related classes of Traditional Greek music of the Department of Musical Science and Art, University of Macedonia. Also, since 2015 he has been teaching violin at Music Department of National Technical University of Athens. In this context, he has created with the students of the above two departments two string orchestras, respectively, the "Violin Orchestra" and the "NTUA Violin Orchestra", which study and perform repertoire of Greek, Balkan and Eastern Mediterranean music. He has also taught violin in secondary education and at various conservatories.

https://www.facebook.com/giannis.zarias

https://www.youtube.com/user/gianniszarias

Music groups that he participates in:

1. Rebetien  https://bit.ly/37SulsP

2. Ρεμπέτικο Τρίο   https://bit.ly/30ZE0wp

3. ZaPaTaVou Quartet   https://bit.ly/2BviVPS

4. Δημοτική Ορχήστρα https://bit.ly/3fMWsMG

5. Frog String Quartet 

 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6SGo2gixbZ60RpPg4vmA6UK7mD7KKqXq

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6SGo2gixbZ4S9T-dqrFxZpO8hyfawfxt

1. Ορχήστρα Βιολιώνε MET https://bit.ly/2YnvplB

2. Ορχήστρα βιολιών ΕΜΠ   https://t.ly/ST64

3. Ορχήστρα 100 ΒΙΟΛΙΩΝ    https://shorturl.at/kprQY