Music Night with Giorgis Manolakis and Giannis Papatzanis

Thursday, September 25, 2025
Fountalidou Pedestrian Street, Sitia, 72300
Start time: 9:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

The two promise a program that respects and honors the musical tradition of Crete, while at the same time enriching it, utilizing sounds from the Eastern Mediterranean and improvisation in the most creative way.

✳︎ Giorgis Manolakis was born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1982 and has been involved with music from a young age through his family. He learned the lute from his father and subsequently the bouzouki, while also engaging with other instruments such as the mandolin, guitar, and baglamas. From his teenage years, he played in music venues and rebetadika, and his first official appearance was with the Hainides, with whom he also recorded albums.
Since 2009, he has collaborated closely with Ross Daly, participating in international festivals and concerts worldwide, as well as in numerous collaborations with prominent Greek and foreign musicians. At the same time, he has a rich personal body of work with several albums, starting from “Spathi” (2009) up to more recent works such as “Kokkines Plakes,” “Couleur Locale,” “Nefalo,” “Sa Prepei De Mou Prepei,” and “Havas.”
Today, he performs with personal projects based on his compositions and improvisation, and as a core member of the “Ross Daly Quintet.” He also teaches lute and bouzouki at the “Labyrinth” Music Workshop.

✳︎ Giannis Papatzanis hails from Rethymno, Crete.
He is a specialized performer of traditional percussion, with an emphasis on the percussion of the southeastern Aegean and the Cretan tradition, but also incorporates elements from other musical traditions (e.g., tombak, udu, frame drums, cajon). He has collaborated for many years with renowned musicians such as Ross Daly, Giorgos Xylouris, Vasilis Stavrakakis, Psarantonis, Zacharias Spyridakis, Dimitris Sgouros, Achilleas Persidis, Haig Yazdjian, and others.
He has composed music for theater, cinema, dance theater, documentaries, and television productions.
He teaches rhythm and percussion seminars both in Crete and in other regions of Greece and abroad.

We look forward to seeing you!