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The basic makams of Istanbul
In this seminar we will work on the basic makams (scales) of the musical tradition of İstanbul, with the composition of which we can then produce all the other makams.

Our main guides in this endeavor will be the great teachers and their old
recordings, while we will try to better understand the tropical phenomena
broadening the scope and contrasting traditions such as Arabic, Persian, Byzantine, folk
Turkish (halk) and especially Ottoman (sanat). The makami with which we will try to
cover in this week are the following: Rast, Uşşak, Hicaz, Sabâ, Segâh, Hüzzam, Acem –
Acemaşiran, Nikriz, Nihavend, Kürdi – Acem Kürdi. The course will be more practical than
theoretical.There is a necessary use of a musical instrument or voice.

Bio

He was born in Athens in 1976 and started playing music at a young age. He graduated from the Music High School of Pallini and the Department of Music Studies of the University of Athens. His first teacher in music was his father, the painter Giorgos Lambrakis. He was taught music by Marios Mavroides,  Theodora Varsou , Sylvia Koutroulis, Ömer Erdoğdular , Yiannis Ioannidis in composition (scholarship, F. Nakas Conservatory),Ioannis Arvanitis and Vassilis Baraboutis in Byzantine music. Since 2000 he has been teaching music at various conservatories (National Conservatory, Athens Conservatory, Simon Karas School of Music). He also gives seminars in Greece and abroad.

He has collaborated with internationally renowned artists such as Savina Giannatou, Bijan Chemirani, Domna Samiou, Michalis Siganidis, Haig Yazdjian, Ross Daly, Stelios Petrakis, Kostas Tatsakis, Michel Doneda, Miguel Gil etc. and has participated in many music groups (Primavera en Salonico, OnEira, Occasional Dream, Project 37 etc.). He has participated in more than 150 musical productions in the Greek and international discography (ECM, Helico, Lyra etc.) as a musician and composer and in many concerts in Greece and abroad (Europe, America, Asia, Australia, Africa) playing traditional , jazz, world, contemporary and improvised music. He took part in the 1st international new meeting in Istanbul (October 2003). He has also composed music for theater. In addition to music, he plays piano and hammond organ.

In 2006 he co-founded the Haris Lambrakis Quartet with which he has released two albums (Thea 2010, Meteora 2012), which have received very good reviews.