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.
Kleo Xirou