Greek Traditional Music and Dance
Erini
Fos: An Asia Minor Story
A documentary. A concert. A shared story.
Thursday, November 5, 2026
7pm Performance, 8:30pm Dance Lesson
The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 — FREE ADMISSION
This multidisciplinary concert combines film, live music, and community collaboration to explore the legacy of Greek refugees from Asia Minor. The program features An Asia Minor Story, a documentary following Greek singer Erini as she traces her family’s history, from her great-grandparents’ displacement in 1922 to her discovery of her ancestral village and a relative’s former home near Izmir, a century later. Songs from her debut album Fos, which reimagines traditional Asia Minor music, are woven throughout the screening, creating a dialogue between film and live performance. Collaborations with local musicians and communities celebrate cultural heritage, memory, and identity across generations.
The event is a joint collaboration of four Philadelphia-based community organizations including the Hellenic University Club of Philadelphia, Greek American Heritage Society of Philadelphia, Pan-Macedonian Youth of Philadelphia, and Politistikos Syllogos Philadelphias.
After the conclusion of the concert presentation, there will be a public Greek dancing lesson led by instructors from Politistikos Syllogos Philadelphias including Dr. Christos Papakostas. Traditional music from Epirus and Northern Greece also tell stories of leaving home, separation, and longing. The workshop invites the community to bring these stories to life through movement and rhythm, experiencing an art form that serves to preserve memories and traditions across generations.
About Erini
Erini is a New York–based vocalist from Crete, bringing a fresh voice to Greek musical traditions by blending them with contemporary elements. From 2014 to 2017, she was the sole vocalist in Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios, touring Canada and the United States and completing 1,074 performances. She has contributed vocals to two GRAMMY-nominated albums in collaboration with Danilo Pérez and Terri Lyne Carrington. She has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Panama Jazz Festival and the London Jazz Festival, and appeared on China’s two largest television channels, BRTV and Hunan TV. In 2023, she was an Official Showcase artist at WOMEX, the world’s largest global music expo. In 2026, she was selected on two occasions to sing at UNESCO events. She earned her master’s degree in global jazz vocal performance on a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, where she has taught as an assistant professor since 2019. She has also led workshops at universities including Harvard and Princeton. She has received recognition from New Music USA, the Greek America Foundation’s “40 Under 40” award, and the Traditional Arts Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She serves as a choral adjudicator at FDF and is a co-founder of Avlés. Her album Fos (Light) was released in 2024.