The Musical Workshop “Labyrinth” was launched in 1982 by Ross Daly (artistic director of MWL) as a creative group of friends whose aim was that of exploring various modal musical traditions from around the world, as well as of the potential for creative interaction between them.
In 1997, the first seminars of "Labyrinth" took place in Athens and they gradually developed into the form which they have today.
Since the year 2000, the main focus became the establishment of a permanent base on Crete, a goal which was achieved in collaboration with the Municipality of Nikos Kazantzakis in 2002 when Labyrinth became situated in a restored manor house in the village of Houdetsi (20kms south of Heraklion).
From that time onwards we organize every year:
• Concentrated weekly music lessons, "Open" and "Master Classes", which focus primarily on the modal musical traditions of the world (Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia, India, North Africa, etc.)
• Concerts with the participation of outstanding teachers/ musicians - the prime representatives of these traditions.
In the spring of 2016, Labyrinth started to extend its activities to other countries of the world: Labyrinth of Catalunya (Barcelona - 2016), Labyrinth of Italy (Santa Sofia - 2017), Labyrinth of Ontario (Canada - 2018), Labyrinth of Cyprus (Nicosia - 2018), Labyrinth of Turkey (Istanbul - 2019), where music seminars and concerts are also organized, based on the "philosophy" of the original center “Labyrinth” musical workshop.
“Labyrinth is more than a musical workshop, it is a way of life through music…”
Labyrinth’s goal is the initiation of primarily young people into a creative approach to traditional musical idioms from various parts of the world. It is a meeting point for musicians and students and it is widely recognized as a leading force with respect to education, in the field of modal and traditional music in general.
