Drys - Tasos Kofodimos & Yvonne Melissa w/ Mahyar Tahmasbi & Laia Escartin

Drys Tasos Kofodimos - lute,composition Yvonne Melissa - violin, composition Mahyar Tahmasbi - cello Laia Escartin - viola Thodoris Ziarkas - double bass The trees and the invisible stories that accompany them emerged as a natural need for us, following years of collaboration and our first album (Myrra, 2023).The title Kormόs came before the music. From early on, we knew we wanted to collaborate with Iranian cellist Mahyar Tahmasbi and Catalan violist Laia Escartin, drawn to their distinctive timbre, creating a unique, specially designed chamber ensemble of four string instruments: violin, viola, cello, and the Greek mainland lute. All the pieces were composed during a residency in Amsterdam and took their final shape through rehearsals with the musicians. The mosaic of the album was completed with the participation of Thodoris Ziarkas on double bass, Kudsi Erguner on ney, and Andreas Polyzogopoulos on trumpet. Each piece is inspired by a different tree—drawing from its mythology, geomorphology, physical characteristics, the folk beliefs surrounding it, as well as our own personal stories. The title Kormόs (meaning “tree trunk” in Greek) reflects both the conceptual core of the project and the living, organic nature of the wooden string instruments at its heart. May you find your own stories growing within them. Recorded in November 2025 in Suninside Studio, Athens, GR Recording and mixing by Dimitris Palaiogiannis Mastering by Vangelis Apostolou Artwork & Design by Marily Papanastasatou Produced by Tasos Kofodimos & Yvonne Melissa We owe our deepest thanks to the musicians who embraced Kormós from its initial conception all the way through to its realization, becoming an integral part of it. Special thanks to Kudsi Erguner and Andreas Polyzogopoulos, who honored us with their participation in the album. Thanks to Amarte Fonds for believing in us and funding our project. We also thank everyone who contributed in their own way to making this album a reality: Dimitris Palaiogiannis, Mutlu Kizilgedik, Marily Papanastasatou, Mikael Bitzarakis (aka Plasi), Thomas Beltsios, Burak Savaş, Michalis Cholevas, Yiorgos Bereris, Katerina Houtsiou, Naso Kittou, Giorgos Popovidis, Marianna Bei, Grigoris Psaroudakis, and our beloved friends and families.