Michalis Kouloumis — Displaced Dreams (Seyir Muzik, 2025)
In Displaced Dreams, Michalis Kouloumis articulates exile as a lived, trembling presence. The album is a precious and beautiful meditation on forced movement, where sound itself seems to migrate restlessly, and with purpose, between Greek, Ottoman, and Western classical traditions.
Kouloumis’ violin leads the dazzling conversations with ney, ūd (oud), and baglama. This interplay reveals a refined command of maqam. The album’s conceptual origin was sparked by the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Kouloumis evokes its aftermath: silence, rupture, and the fragile persistence of hope. In slower, exquisite passages, the violin leans into near-fractured tones, as though memory itself were struggling to remain intact. By contrast, rhythmically intricate sections introduce an undercurrent of motion.
Chamber-like moments emerge later in the record, offering a striking shift in scale. Here you will find finely-crafted intimate dialogues between violin and plucked strings, drawing the listener inward.
Michalis Kouloumis grew up in a musical family in Cyprus that instilled in him a deep sensitivity to music from an early age. Initially trained in European classical violin, his artistic pursuits naturally extended to the exploration of the rich musical traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. He followed further studies in Greek traditional music at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory in Athens, where he earned his diploma with distinction under the mentorship of violinist Yorgos Marinakis.
Concurrently with his musical education, he completed undergraduate studies in Physics at the University of Athens. In 2013, he obtained a Master of Arts in Violin Performance, with a specialization in Taksim in Ottoman Classical music, from CodArts, University for the Arts (Netherlands), where he distinguished himself as the first alumnus to be awarded the “10/10 Excellence in Performance” prize.
Kouloumis enhanced his musical development by participating in workshops led by renowned artists such as Kudsi Ergüner, Ömer Erdoğdular, Ross Daly, Nedim Nalbantoğlu, Baki Kemancı, Harris Lambrakis, Efren Lopez, and Murat Aydemir.
As a performer, Michalis Kouloumis has collaborated with world-renowned artists, including Ross Daly, Jordi Savall, Kudsi Ergüner, Nana Mouskouri, Gabriel Yared, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Efren Lopez, Ghada Shbeir, Thimios Atzakas, Zohar Fresco, Hrachya Avanesyan, among many others.
Between 2013 and 2023, Kouloumis was a faculty member at Codarts, University for the Arts where he taught courses on Ottoman Classical Music, Greek Traditional Music and Makam Improvisation.
His discography includes Soil (2014), Ephemera (2017), Music For Shepherds and Sultans (2023), Displaced Dreams (2025), and The Music Of Cyprus (2025).
Besides his musical career, Michalis Kouloumis is also an enthusiastic runner, actively competing in medium and long-distance races.
Michalis Kouloumis on violin, viola; Makis Baklatzis on violin; Christos Dalianis on violin; Giannis Zarias on violin; Sakis Karakostas on violin; Manos Skalidakis on violin; Fotis Siotas on viola; Stefanos Sekeroglou on viola; Vassilis Lemonias on cello; Despina Spanou on cello; Michalis Cholevas on tarhu; Dine Doneff on double bass; Harris Lambrakis on ney; Alexandros Papadimitrakis on oud; Maria Ploumi on Cretan lute; Stratis Psaradelis on baglama; Martha Mavroidi on baglama; Maria Melahrinou on baglama; Vaggelis Karipis on frame drum; Ruven Ruppik on cajon, snare drum, udu, cymbals; Tasos Poulios on kanun; and Petros Kouloumis on lute.
Buy Displaced Dreams.
Author: Tyler Bennet
