Music of Macedonia (Greece)

Compared to other regions of, the music of Macedonia is characterized by a high degree of diversity, due to the numerous influences it has received over the years from neighboring countries and particularly from refugees arriving in the early 20th century.

Macedonia and especially its capital, Thessaloniki, maintain a thriving music scene and have been home to many of Greece's most prominent popular musicians of singers, including Marinella, Stavros Kouyioumtzis, Giannis Kalatzis, Paschalis Terzis, Natassa Theodoridou, Antonis Remos, Nikos Papazoglou, Giannis Aggelakas, as well as bands such as Onirama, Xylina Spathia, Trypes and Nightrage.

Western Macedonian music is the closest to that of Thessaly and Epirus and is dominated by brass instruments, with the exception of Grevena and the surrounding area, where the Epirot orchestra (clarinet, violin, laouto and tambourine) is more common.

A rich brass tradition also evolved in Pella and Kilkis, replacing the earlier zurna (karamuza) and bagpipe bands, which still dominate Imathia and much of Central and Eastern Macedonia.

In Naoussa and the surrounding area, traditional orchestras consist of the famous davul and zurna combination, while Veria is known for its Ottoman-style urban music.