Kelly Thoma :: Official Website

 (c) Manolis Mathioudakis

Kelly Thoma     
Lyra with Sympathetic Strings - Contemporary Modal Music 

kelly thoma

      (c) Giannis Karnikis

Kelly's lyras are made by Stelios Petrakis and Leonidas Spanos.

The design of this type of lyra was created by Ross Daly in 1991. The first one was constructed in Athens by Nikos Bras. This lyra has three playing strings (A-D-G) and 12 to 22 sympathetic strings.


kelly thoma

Kelly Thoma has been studying the lyra with Ross Daly since 1995 and soon after started travelling with him and his group, “Labyrinth” to perform in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals around the world.  She has participated in many projects with musicians from various different traditions of the world. 

As a member of “Labyrinth” and the Labyrinth Musical Workshop she has had the chance to meet and play with many renowned musicians such as the Trio Chemirani, Ömer Erdoğdular, Derya Türkan , Zohar Fresco, Efrén López, Pedram Khavar Zamini, Dhruba Ghosh, Ballake Sissoko, Erdal Erzincan, Mehmet Erenler, Yurdal Tokcan, Mayu Shviro, Ustad Mohammed Rahim Khushnawaz and many more, which resulted in a unique sound and a personal style on the lyra as well as a creative approach to traditional music.She participates in most of Ross Daly’s projects and since 2008 she is a member of Tokso Folk String Quartet with Anne Hytta, Eleonore Billy and Sigrun Eng exploring and creating music inspired -amongst others- by nordic traditions.
With Ross Daly she has performed in Carnegie Hall, Theatre de la Ville, Queen Elizabeth Hall, San Francisco WMF, Rainforest WMF, Womadelaide, Rudolstadt and many other important venues and festivals around the world.
She has released three albums of her own compositions Anamkhara (2009), 7Fish (2014) and “As Τhe Winds Die Down” (2018) and has graduated from the English Literature department of the Athens University as well as from the”Rallou Manou” Dance School.

Bio in GREEK - ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ

The term "contemporary modal music" has been created by Ross Daly and describes the sum total of contemporary compositions created today by musicians working within various modal traditions. This music is the continuation of the procedure of modal composing through a very free perspective and is not at all connected with the goal of "preserving traditions". It is the contemporary expression of the beauty of modality (phrase-orientated non-harmonic music which often employs non-tempered intervals).

NEWS:


...upcoming concerts 2024-2025:

JANUARY

5, Ross Daly Τrio with Zoe Papadandonaki at Palmhouse Gallery , Kamilari, Crete, GREECE

8, Ross Daly Trio with Zoe Papadandonaki, Θύραθεν - Thirathen, Museum of musical instruments research & documentation, Heraklion,  Crete, GREECE

10, "Night Flight" with Nikos Papaioannou and Pavlos Spyropoulos, Baumstrasse/Δρόμος με Δέντρα,  Athens, GREECE

19, Kelly and Mayu Duet, with Mayu Shviro, at Palmhouse gallery , Kamilari, Crete, GREECE

22, Kelly and Mayu Duet, with Mayu Shviro, Θύραθεν - Thirathen, Museum of musical instruments research & documentation, Heraklion, Crete, GREECE

FEBRUARY

3-8 with Balkanopolis, Belgrade, SERBIA

15, Kelly Thoma Trio (Aris Kornelakis, Eleanna Papanikolopoulou) at Palmhouse gallery , Kamilari, Crete, GREECE

19, Kelly Thoma Trio (Aris Kornelakis, Eleanna Papanikolopoulou) Θύραθεν - Thirathen, Museum of musical instruments research & documentation, Heraklion, Crete, GREECE

21, 22,  Zogia, Thessaloniki , GREECE , Ross Daly-Kelly Thoma Duet

28 Zogia Thessaloniki,GREECE ,  "Night Flight" with Nikos Papaioannou and Pavlos Spyropoulos

APRIL 

16-21 Labyrinth Catalunya- Modal Music Group workshop, Cardedeu, Catalunya, SPAIN




Buy “7fish" online! 

Check the Concerts and Seminars Calendar !

Read her interview at "The Goddess of the Hunt"

 Links :

Ross Daly

Tokso

Labyrinth Musical Workshop

Stelios Petrakis

Efren Lopez