Sounds of Epirus at the historic Lowell Folk Festival in the USA

Guest of the National Council for Traditional Arts in the USA, the Epirus lutist appeared with the Vasilis Kostas Ensemble, authentically conveying the Epirus sound to the American audience. The group’s concerts – three in total in two days – attracted both Greeks of the Greek diaspora and the international audience, earning warm applause and deep emotion.

Epirus Sounds at the Historic Lowell Folk Festival in the USA – Vassilis Costas Honors Tradition and Petroloukas Chalkias
During the concerts, Vassilis Costas dedicated the musical performance to his great mentor, Petroloukas Chalkias, honoring his timeless contribution to Greek traditional music. Particularly moving was his reference to the day that would have marked the 91st anniversary of Petroloukas’ birth, which coincided with the second day of the concerts. He spoke at length about the profound impact of their relationship on his musical career and the global importance of his work in promoting Greek musical heritage.

He was joined by young talented musicians who study at the Select Epirus Ensemble of the Holy Metropolis of Ioannina, which he artistically directs. With the support of the Metropolis, Emilia Chalkia (voice), Christos Poulios (violin) and George Theodoridis (lute) are participating as scholars in the five-week summer program of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Participation in this festival confirms the pivotal role of Vasilis Costas in the global promotion of Epirus music and the Greek tradition in general, through modern forms of presentation that preserve its authentic core.