Lyre Camp Revives Ancient Greek Music on Mount Olympus

People from 11 countries travelled to Mount Olympus in September to learn to play the ancient Greek lyre, reconnecting with a musical tradition that had fallen silent for centuries.

From China, the United States and Canada to Chile, England and Ukraine, 50 participants gathered on Greece’s highest mountain for the third annual Lyre Camp. For the first time, the event took place on Mount Olympus, offering students an opportunity to explore ancient Greek music in the mythical home of the gods.

The multi-day programme combined practical lyre lessons with philosophy, history and group music-making. Participants attended two consecutive week-long sessions, with 25 students in each.

“We wanted from the outset to create an opportunity for people who had previously studied the ancient lyre mainly through a screen to meet in person, share their musical experiences and, of course, get to know Greece,” Theodoros Koumartzis told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA). “This year, Mount Olympus itself provided a very strong incentive for them to travel here.”

Koumartzis leads the camp alongside Lina Palera and Thanasis Kleopas. All three are musicians with international careers and extensive experience in reviving, teaching and developing contemporary artistic applications for the ancient Greek lyre.

A typical day began at 8am with readings from ancient philosophy accompanied by the lyre. For an hour, participants explored ancient philosophical texts and examined the connections between music, philosophy and everyday life.

After breakfast, students joined group lessons divided into three levels: beginners, advanced and highly advanced. The classes catered both to people with no previous musical experience and professional musicians interested in exploring the instrument’s possibilities.

Afternoon sessions offered individual tuition, allowing each participant to work one-to-one with one of the three instructors. Special presentations on ancient music and its instruments followed in the evenings.

The week culminated in a student concert, where participants performed a melody they had prepared together during the lessons. Those who wished could also take the stage individually, performing either solo or accompanied by one of the instructors.

From a workshop in Kilkis to an international musical community

The story behind Lyre Camp began with efforts to reconstruct ancient Greek musical instruments.

“We began reconstructing these instruments in 2014, establishing our workshop in Europós, Kilkis, and working with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to study archaeological depictions and ancient texts describing their construction,” Koumartzis said.

The initiative led to the development of the family-run Luthieros Music Instruments workshop, which makes ancient musical instruments. The team later established the SEIKILO Museum of Ancient Music in Thessaloniki, where it holds weekly ancient Greek lyre lessons.

Another milestone came in 2020 with the launch of the Lyre Academy, the world’s first online platform offering ancient Greek lyre lessons in English.

“Many people bought the instruments and then asked us, ‘I have the lyre. Now how can I learn to play it?’ So we created the Academy and developed educational books alongside it,” Koumartzis explained.

The Academy now offers a comprehensive four-year curriculum for everyone from beginners to professional musicians.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for online lessons grew internationally, attracting students from around the world. This prompted the organisers to establish Lyre Camp, bringing the Academy’s online community together in person so students could meet, play music and exchange experiences.

The first two camps took place on the island of Aegina, mainly because of its easy access from Athens. However, the announcement that the third edition would move to Mount Olympus generated strong interest, prompting the organisers to schedule two separate week-long sessions.

Lyre Camp 2027 already attracting strong interest

The organisers have already filled all 25 places for the first week of the 2027 Lyre Camp on Mount Olympus. They expect to announce a second week shortly, giving more people the opportunity to take part.

(Source: AMNA)

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