© Yannis Psathas
|
Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette present
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 8:00pm Vasilis Kostas Contemporary & Traditional Music of Epirus, Greece: World Premiere of Léna 
509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue
Downtown Brooklyn | tel. 917-267-0363 |
|
Vasilis Kostas is a Grammy-nominated laouto (long-necked fretted lute) player, composer and educator from Epirus, a mountainous region in northwestern Greece known for music with strong melodic lines and slow rhythms. He is internationally recognized for reintroducing the laouto, one of the most demanding instruments in the lute family, as a leading melodic voice in both traditional and contemporary music, and for his work with master pianist Danilo Pérez and the late legendary clarinetist Petroloukas Halkias, with whom he recorded two albums under the title The Soul of Epirus. Deeply rooted in the musical traditions of Epirus, Kostas transforms the laouto from its historic role as an accompanying instrument into a vehicle for lyrical expression and improvisation, bridging centuries-old sounds with new musical expressions. His honors include the Forty Under 40 Award by the Greek American Foundation, recognizing his efforts in preserving and promoting Greek traditional music in the US.
His program will highlight original compositions from his new CD, Léna, to be released in April, bridging contemporary influences and traditional repertoire adapted for the laouto as a tribute to his mentor Petroloukas Halkias. Vasilis will lead his trio with acclaimed musicians Ian Ashby (upright bass) and George Lernis (percussion); renowned cellist Naseem Alatrash will join them on selected pieces. “A master of the stringed instrument known as laouto…creating an innovative new place for it in contemporary music.”--RootsWorld Magazine
With support from the Consulate General of Greece in New York, the Panepirotic Federation of America, and the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Tickets: $35 advance*; $40 at door; $30 seniors & students with ID (advance* and at door) *+$2.50 processing fee per advance ticket |
|
