⌂

Kalia Lyraki is a singer, nay player and multi-instrumentalist specialising in the music of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Rooted in the  fertile musical soil of Crete, Greece, her musical journey meanders from the island’s folk traditions, to the vibrant contemporary sounds of London, UK, where she currently resides.
As a composer and session player, her music can be heard in the cinematic world of film, TV and the immersive realm of video games. As a performer she has appeared internationally on stages from concert halls to festivals, collaborating with renowned artists across musical genres. From a family of educators, she shares the knowledge that she acquired learning besides master musicians, in group workshops and privately. Kalia is currently on the verge of releasing her debut album, created through song collecting and song-writing, which will be a tribute to the empowering spirit of Cretan women. Beyond music, Kalia is passionate about conservation and women’s rights.

‘An extraordinarily beautiful voice, with sensitivity to the soul and ethos of Cretan song’, Ruth Padel, 2022
‘One of the UK’s leading world music singers’, Wallee McDonald, 2013
‘A remarkable musician’, Patris newspaper, Crete 2009 
‘Kalia’s voice is made of blood and honey’, Giovani Netto, 2007
‘A voice that could melt an iceberg’, Nuala Mole, 2007 
‘A sweet voice full of Arabic intervals’, The Guardian, 2004