A Home for Ancient Music and Instruments

Musician and educator Theodoros Koumartzis preserves ancient culture by teaching about the sounds and mythology of the Greek lyre at the Seikilo Museum.

Theodoros Koumartzis demonstrates the ancient Greek lyre. Courtesy of Theodoros Koumartzis

During my correspondence with musician and educator Theodoros Koumartzis, I was struck by the closing quote in his email: “If we are to preserve culture we must continue to create it.” For Mr. Koumartzis, this quote by Dutch historian Johan Huizinga is what life is all about.

Mr. Koumartzis is the co-founder of Seikilo Museum in Thessaloniki, Greece, a museum dedicated to ancient instruments. A passionate lyre player, he teaches about the importance of Greek music, mythology, and culture.