A concert of ancient Greek music by the Athens-based Centre of Greek Musical Tradition LyraVlos in Vienna was given on the occasion of the ending of Greece’s EU Presidency.

The event was proposed and organised by the European Patent Office’s social committee (an “Amicale” group) and the Greek Embassy in Austria, with Greece’s new ambassador to Vienna, Chryssoula Aleiferi also attending. Many ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, international community and expatriates attended the event, too.

The music performance included reconstructed ancient musical instruments played by the Centre’s founder Panagiotis Stefos, his wife Christina Siaki and children Michalis and Olga. Stefos is a professional musician and he has played for the Athens State Orchestra, the National Opera of Greece and the Orchestra of Colours.

During the performance explanations on the instruments were given, both for constructed instruments and naturally found ones like shells, and information on extant musical notations was provided. Also, traditional Greek and timeless melodies were also performed.

In statements to ANA-MPA, Stefos said that to reconstruct the musical pieces, the Centre has used information from vase paintings, statues, coins, marble reliefs and literary sources. Most ancient Greek authors, such as Plato and Aristotle, include some information on music helping him to reconstruct the shape, size, material and manner of playing the instruments.