The master of drums
- Kleo uses woodworking and metalworking techniques
- Her specialisation is mounting drumskins
- She sources goatskins from local tanneries
Kleo Xirou is a drum artisan and a musician herself. Prior to opening her workshop in May 1999, she worked as a luthier's apprentice in Athens. With no formal training in drum making available, she developed valuable skills through her hands-on training and guidance from fellow craftspeople, musicians, fine artists and scientists. Kleo makes a wide range of percussion instruments using locally sourced natural goat skins and beechwood "not out of necessity but as a consequence of personal commitment”. Her greatest challenge is preserving the regional character of each drum while offering advances in construction, finishing and tuning capabilities.
Discover her work
INTERVIEW
A small rope tension drum traditionally played on the Aegean islands. The young man who commissioned it went on to become a master luthier as well as an internationally recognized composer and virtuoso of the Cretan lyra.
I am very fond of Greek folk drums that are almost “barebone” - roughly turned wood, a simple chalice of clay, hemp rope, goatskins, sometimes an adornment detail. My preference for clean, unembellished forms and neutral color palettes has become a sort of trademark.
As a musician, I know what sound qualities are desirable and appropriate for each instrument and what is comfortable and convenient for the players. These two factors inform my design specifications, including dimension ratio, weight and choice of materials.
I believe my craft is flourishing. There is a huge demand for percussion instruments worldwide and growing numbers of people are also using drums for spiritual practices, performances, storytelling, community building, entertainment and relaxation.
