Giannis Zevgolis and the music group Ballos are coming on Saturday 4th of August to the Santorini Arts Factory, for a concert that will take us on a journey. The music group Ballos appeared on the Greek music scene in early 2002. Their repertory includes the music of the Aegean islands, and the coasts of Asia Minor. The characteristic that defines the “sound” of the group is their choice of instruments, their repertory, as well as the use of old playing techniques, which give the music a new dimension. The instruments they use are the violin, the zither, and the lute: an organic group of instruments that is quite popular and still in use in the Aegean. Each of the members has traversed their own journey in the area of traditional and contemporary composition, actively participating in the Greek and international musical scene as composers and performers. The influences of the group are diverse (traditional, byzantine, western music) and define the final product of the group, giving them a very unique sound. Since 2002, the group has performed a large number of concerts in Greece and Abroad, as well as recordings on the radio and the television.
The Band:
Violin: Giannis Zevglos
Zither: Ourania Labropoulou
Lute: Kostas Sideris
Visiting vocalist: Dionisia Papouli
Giannis Zevgolis
Born in Athens, his parents were from Aperanthos in Naxos, one of the defining factors in his choices in music. He started learning the violin at the age of 13, primarily playing Cycladic music, playing and learning with traditional musicians. He quickly evolved and was characterized by the way he expresses himself while playing, and the old-fashioned style of playing that sets him apart. He made three CDs with melodies and songs from Aperanthos in Naxos, and the “Anefala Thalassina” (Lyre) with Eirini Konitopoulou Legaki and Dimitris Firogenis. He has collaborated with many musicians and composers on discography, theatrical plays, and concerts, in Greece and abroad. In 1992 he completed his diploma on Classical Violin, from the National Conservatory of Athens. Today he teaches Classical Violin and Traditional Music at the NCA.
Ourania Labropoulou
Born in Athens, she studied theory with M. Adamis, Byzantine music with S. Pavlakis at the NCA, and piano with Nelli Semitekolo at the Municipal Conservatory of Kalamata. Since 2001 she studies at the Department of Musical Studies of the University of Athens. She has taken zither classes from Tasos Diakogiorgis, a master zither player. She has participated in concerts and recording of traditional and contemporary music in Greece and abroad (Domna Samiou, Chronis Aidonis, Christos Zotos, Ch. Sikkis, Mikis Theodorakis, ERT Modern Music Orchestra, Christos Leontis, Orchestra of the NCA, Christodoulos Chalaris, etc.)
Since 2004, she has been teaching zither at the T.E.I of Epirus, at the Department of Traditional and Folklore Music
Konstantinos Sideris
Born in Athens, his family comes from Koronos in Naxos. He studied Byzantine Music with Lykourgos Aggelopoulos, and was a member of the “Association for the Promotion of our National Music” with Simonas Karas, for four years. He is now teaching Istanbul Lute, drums, and lute at the Musical School of Pallini, and performs research into recording folklore and traditional songs, dances, customs, all around Greece. He was a member of the Greek Byzantine Choir, conducted by Lykoyrgos Aggelopoulos, for seven years. He has participated in many concerts in Greece and abroad, with various musicians and composers.
Born in Athens, Dionisia Pappouli has family roots in Kos. She is a graduate of the Department of Musical Studies at the University of Athens, and she holds a degree in Fugue, Counterpoint, and Harmony. She has studied the piano and the flute, while she also teaches Theory of European Music. She is the head of the Traditional Choir, and has been managing traditional music groups in various music school since 2009. Her interest in traditional music started empirically, and was later sealed with her studies in Byzantine Music at the Department of Traditional and Folklore Music at the Technical University of Arta. She has collaborated with master-musicians such as Giannis Zevgolis, Stathis Koukoularis, Martha Mavroidi, and others, while she has also appeared in many shows in Greece and Abroad.