Musical Gathering on Epirotic Polyphonic Singing: “As Many Flowers as Spring Has”

We are pleased to announce the four-day Summer Music Meeting of the Music Pedagogy sector of the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University 2026, titled: “Musical Gathering on Epirotic Polyphonic Song: ‘As Many Flowers as Spring Has’.” The meeting will take place from Thursday, June 25 to Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Ionian Academy in Corfu. Participants may include music students, music educators, musicians, graduates and conservatory students, teachers, and anyone interested. Musical education and/or amateur engagement with music—especially singing—is welcome.

This year’s summer gathering focuses on the experience of polyphonic (multipart) singing in the Epirotic style. The event will be conducted in Greek, but English-speaking participants may also attend. In that case, partial translation into English will be provided. Due to limited availability, places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis according to registration date and other criteria. To express interest, please complete the participation form: https://forms.gle/NWRVeMDyGnpE37TTA

On Saturday, June 27 at 19:00, a performance by participants will take place under the coordination of the guest instructors, followed by a concert by the Epirotic polyphonic ensemble “Inoro”. The event will be held at the Ionian Academy and will be open to the public. On Sunday, June 28 at 11:00, the participants’ group will present selected material at the Elderly Care Home of the Municipal of Central Corfu.

Participation in the Summer Music Pedagogy Meeting 2026 is free of charge, provided that registered participants commit to full attendance and participation, including during the final performance. After the application submission deadline, selected participants will be informed by June 2, 2026. Info: ionianmused@gmail.com

Our aim is for the Summer Music Pedagogy Meeting of the Ionian University to serve as a meeting point for constructive dialogue and training on issues related to teaching and learning music in contemporary society.

Description of the Four-Day Musical Gathering

Epirotic polyphonic song is geographically rooted in villages of the Pogoni region, some areas of Konitsa, a few villages at the foothills of Mount Mourgana (Thesprotia), and Greek-speaking villages in southern Albania. It developed over centuries in Epirus, with singers using local dialect terms to define roles such as: partis (leader), gyristis, klostis, richtis, and isokrates (drone singers). The singing is collective, with simple melodic lines. This unique folk polyphony is not related to Western harmonic systems. The dominant sound is strictly non-tempered, and rhythm is closely tied to the poetic structure of folk songs.

A group consists of four main vocal roles, though ensembles may include more members (6–10). Groups are usually mixed, but there are also all-female or all-male groups, or ensembles accompanied by instruments (clarinet, violin, lute, tambourine) in more recent interpretations. The songs reflect themes from the human life cycle and the year cycle, embedded in their socio-cultural context.

Members of “Inoro,” with over 20 years of experience, will teach the techniques and subtleties of Epirotic polyphony. During the meeting, vocal roles will be analyzed and approached through local stylistic variations. Teaching will be based on practical and auditory methods, using unison, two-part, three-part, and four-part songs.

“Inoro”

“Inoro” was founded in 2001. With an emphasis on traditional interpretation and authenticity, the group aims to preserve and promote Epirotic polyphonic singing as a folk musical form with artistic and ethnomusicological value. In 2010, they founded the Association of Epirotic Polyphonic Song “Inoro,” based in Ioannina.

Since their first appearance in 2002, they have performed throughout Greece and internationally, including festivals in Greece (Phones tis Petras, Athens 2007, City Festival Thessaloniki 2012, Festival of polyphonic singing 2018-2025 Kouklious Pogoni etc.) and abroad (Permeti Multikulturor Albania 2008 under the auspices of Unesco, International Festival Muzika e dy boteve Gjirokastër (Argyrokastro) Albania 2009, Agioi Saranta Albania, Multipart Bridges Ioannina 2009 in collaboration with polyphonic group Zeri I Bilbilit, Bylis Polifonia Albania in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, as well as the National Folklore Festival Argyrokastro Albania 2015 under the auspices of  Unesco). 

They have collaborated with various artists, ensembles, and institutions, participated in recordings, TV productions, and music-theatre performances, and received awards for excellence in polyphonic singing.

They have released two albums:

• Inoro – Epirotic Polyphonic Songs (2011)
• Inoro – Epirotic Polyphonic Songs II (2016)
  and are currently preparing a third.

Members of the group are: Harris Karagiannis, Maria Sideri-Skopi, Vasilis Efthymiou, Fotini Kotsiafti, Sophia Exarchou, Panagiotis Tellis, Vlassis Papadimitriou, Vasiliki Skopi, Dimitra Boutsikou and Costas Lolis.

Kostas Lolis

He was born in Sopiki, Pogoni, in 1948. He graduated from the Pedagogical Academy of Gjirokastër in 1966. He completed his music studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana in 1975, obtaining a diploma in “Music Theory.” For over 15 years, he worked as a Music Professor at the Artistic and Pedagogical School of Gjirokastër. From 1994 to 2015, he served as a teacher at the Music Junior–Senior High School and at the Municipal Conservatory of Ioannina. At the same time, he was actively engaged in music criticism, as well as in organizing and directing musical ensembles and events at both local and national levels, and in publishing educational music books. He has long been involved in vocal and instrumental folk polyphony, presenting studies at conferences and symposia in Tirana, Gjirokastër, Bylis, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Chios, Konitsa, Kastoria, and elsewhere, and publishing works with ethnomusicological content. He also composes instrumental works based on the motifs, scales, and rhythms of the Epirotic musical tradition, as well as choral works accompanied by piano and symphony orchestra. He is now retired and lives in Ioannina.

Publications:

• Moiroloi and Skaros, Ioannina, 2003
• Epirotic Polyphonic Song, Ioannina, 2006
• Epirotic Pieces 2 for Violin and Piano, Ioannina, 2010
• Epirotic Pieces 1 for Two Violins and Piano, Ioannina, 2016
• My Musical Village, Sopiki – Pogoni, Ioannina, 2021

Panagiotis Tellis

He is a graduate of the Department of Music Studies of the School of Fine Arts (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2002) and of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1993). He holds a Master’s degree in Musicology (Byzantine Music) from the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University (2017) and is also a PhD candidate in the same department in the field of Ethnomusicology, under the supervision of Associate Professor Efstathios Makris. His studies span both Western and jazz music, as well as Byzantine and traditional music. Since 1992, he has been professionally active in music (saxophone, flute, ney, recorders). He has three discographic releases to his credit, all personally curated: Pnoetica – The Nocturnal Gathering of Musicians (CD, 2012), Inoro – Epirotic Polyphonic Songs I & II (CDs, 2011, 2016). His research interests focus on the musical tradition of Epirus, particularly polyphonic singing. He is a founding member of the Association of Epirotic Polyphonic Song “Inoro” and serves as president of its Board, with many years of participation in the ensemble of the same name. In 2016, he founded both the Epirotic polyphonic ensemble and the saxophone ensemble at the Music School of Ioannina. He is a music teacher in secondary education and, since 2016, has been teaching saxophone at the Music School of Ioannina. Among other positions, he has taught at the Department of Folk and Traditional Music of the Technological Educational Institute of Epirus (2002–2008, 2014–2015) and at the Ecclesiastical Music and Chant Program of the Ecclesiastical Academy of Vella, Ioannina (2009–2015).

Maria Sideri-Skopi

She is a graduate of the Pedagogical Academy of Gjirokastër (1978) and of the School of Primary Education at the University of Gjirokastër (1988). Maria Sideri-Skopi obtained a Master’s degree titled “Specialization in Redaktori Editing – Structure of Discourse in the Albanian Language” from the Faculty of History and Philology at the University of Tirana (2010). From 1978 to 2000, she taught Albanian and Greek at the Gymnasium of Glyna in Gjirokastër. From 2007 to 2010, she taught Albanian in training programs for civil servants of the Epirus Institute of Training (P.I.N.E.P.), while also participating in the Support Committee of the Certification System for Training. She has also been teaching Albanian for many years at a Foreign Language Center. From a young age, she has taken part in events and festivals of polyphonic singing and traditional music. She learned polyphonic singing experientially from her mother, as her entire family used to sing in their village of origin, Ano Episkopi (Riza, Gjirokastër).

General Information

Participation: Free

Application deadline: May 29, 2026

Notification of participants: by June 8, 2026

Location: Ionian Academy, Corfu

Contact: ionianmused@gmail.com

Terms and Conditions

• Application deadline: May 29, 2026.
• Limited places; participants will be selected based on specific criteria (music studies, experience, background, previous participation, availability, etc.).
• No accommodation is provided by the university.
• Travel expenses, accommodation, meals, and travel insurance are covered by participants.
• Organizers may record and use audiovisual material for promotional purposes.
• Submission of application implies acceptance of all terms.

Scientific Coordinators:
Zoe Dionyssiou (Professor of Music Pedagogy)
Mitsy Akogiounoglou (Assistant Professor of Music Therapy)

Organization & Communication: Maria Zarkada & Despoina Chamali (doctoral candidates)

Info: ionianmused@gmail.com

Indicative daily program*

* There may be small modifications to the final daily schedule, if necessary.