The oud is the most emblematic and recognizable instrument in the scholarly and popular musical cultures of the Near and Middle East. Its age-long long presence in various areas of musical activity, made it the means of expression and creation of Arabs, Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Persians etc. Its role in the musical life of the Asia Minor Greeks, often paired with the violin, the classical kemençe or the kanun, dominated feasts, festivals and popular entertainment venues such as coffee houses, taverns and café-amans. After 1922 and the exchange of populations, the Asia Minor oudists would continue their activity at least up until the Second World War, and their sound is captured in many recordings made on 78 RPM discs. In the last thirty years, the oud has returned to the forefront of the “traditional”, ethnic and alternative Greek music scene, thanks to the emergence of excellent virtuosos, composers and teachers. In tonight’s concert, eight oud virtuosos will play traditional songs and tunes from Greece and from the Near and Middle East, improvisations and contemporary compositions, as well as their own compositions, in a solo program.