Sofia Labropoulou: Solo Kanun and Prepared Kanun Project
Sofia Labropoulou, an acclaimed kanun player, composer, and improviser, takes her solo kanun project to unprecedented sonic and artistic territories. Melding her Eastern Mediterranean roots with a rich tapestry of global influences, Sofia redefines the possibilities of the kanun, an instrument steeped in history and tradition. Drawing from her extensive experience in Greek folk music, Ottoman classical, medieval Western, experimental, and contemporary genres, she offers a compelling exploration of sound that bridges cultural and temporal divides.
In her solo performances, Sofia uses both the traditional kanun and the prepared kanun, introducing innovative techniques that expand the instrument’s sonic palette. Her music challenges the conventional boundaries of tradition, creating immersive soundscapes that honor the kanun’s cultural roots while presenting it in entirely new contexts. This approach resonates with modern audiences, offering an inclusive and boundary-breaking musical experience.
Currently completing her debut solo album, Spiral, Sofia captures the essence of this innovative journey. The album reflects her ethos: to resynthesize tradition, allowing it to evolve organically and authentically. Through meticulous craftsmanship, she integrates elements of improvisation, experimental techniques, and cross-cultural dialogue into her compositions. In one of the pieces, Sofia plays two instruments simultaneously, pushing the boundaries of performance and showcasing her profound connection to the kanun. These works transcend Orientalist and Westernized frameworks, presenting deeply personal and authentic expressions of identity.
Sofia’s live performances are a sonic journey, blending the meditative with the dynamic, the traditional with the avant-garde. Her ability to engage audiences stems from her mastery of the kanun and her visionary approach to its role in contemporary music. Each performance is not just a concert but an experience, where the past and the future of this extraordinary instrument converge.
Sofia Labropoulou’s performances has already captivated audiences across Europe. Her works has been celebrated for its ability to transcend cultural barriers, with critics lauding her as one of the most important kanun players of her generation.
With Spiral, Sofia invites listeners to embark on a musical exploration of identity, resilience, and transformation—a journey that reflects her lifelong commitment to rethinking tradition through innovation and collaboration.
Mentions
“Sofia Labropoulou has translated the musical heritage of the European and Aegean musical tradition into a living practice.” (Cecile Olshausen – SRF 2 Kultur)
“Sofia Labropoulou does just that: she mixes classical music with the music of the East, adds the pentatonic scales of folk musical traditions, throws punk and rock into the fire. The mixing is her basic essence. And if mixing music is almost self-evident in our postmodern times, putting Camus and Palamas side by side is no easy task. Sisyphus and The Demolisher walk hand in hand. And that is sublimely dangerous and at the same time, dangerously sublime.” (Giorgos Florakis – athensvoice.gr)
“Sofia Labropoulou with “Sisyphus” proves why she is considered as the most important kanun player of the younger generation” (Haris Symvoulidis – mic.gr)
“When one speaks about music from Greece, usually you will not expect a story about a woman artist playing kanun, also a composer, with both legs and her arms into contemporary and experimental music as well as into Greek traditional music. And that her first solo album is inspired by Sisyphus, but rather by the work of Albert Camus than by the Greek mythology. Yes, that is Sofia Labropoulou. Her composing and playing and selection of featured artists show that she masters her instrument, but does not put it in front. Her compositions give space for the story to develop and for others to shine.” (Bojan Djordjevic WMCE, Serbia)
“There’s a calming and restorative, almost otherworldly, beauty to this album in which the eclecticism of the source material adds to the auditory and cerebral appeal.” (Russell Higham – Songlines)
“Sisyphus is the artistic manifesto of Sofia Labropoulou. The master of the kanun and composer presents the essence of her music, in an album, which before anything else, touches and interprets the harsh reality that we all experience for many years. She does not seek to caress anyones ears with amusing sounds, but she is delving into the essence of ancient Greek tragedy, she accepts the chalenge to confront the drama, having the courage to seek for katharsis. In a hard, difficult perhaps, but absolutely honest and straightforward way, and with a clarity that spreads the musical culture of the experienced musician in a riveting way.”(Sotiris Bekas – Paradounai kai lavein – musicpaper.gr)
“Sisyphus” was instrumented by Kanun, Santur, Oud, Ney, Double-bass, Clarinet, Violin, Cello as well as Voice and various percussion elements. This range of sound possibilities gives the arrangements an authenticity which – even in the genre of world music – is seldom heard. At the same time, by merging different musical cultures and dissolving creative boundaries, a musical potpourri is created that sends the listeners’ taste buds on an extremely exciting journey. It moves between the unknown and the familiar, between West and East, as well as between tradition and modernity. (Alexander Kochman – mica – music Austria)
“There is no sun without shadow, and you need to know the night”, Camus pointed out, hoping for a life capable of escaping the reign of anguish, at least for a moment. Sofia Labropoulou makes this philosophy her own and develops it over the course of seven pieces in the company of superlative musicians for expressive attitude and instrumental expertise.”(Alessio Surian – BlogFoolk Magazine)
Sofia’s Extended CV
Sofia’s Technical Rider
Sofia’s Photos and Press Material
Website
Youtube Channel
Spotify
E-mail Adress: sofia_labropoulou@yahoo.gr