Vlatos Jazz Season 8
What happened in the world in 2025
In 2025, global events included escalating then de-escalating conflicts in key regions, major natural calamities straining humanitarian efforts, economic pressures from trade disruptions, breakthroughs in renewable energy and biotech, and cultural/tech shifts toward hybrid realities and sustainability.
Vlatos Jazz 2025 Program (Season 8)
The eighth season of the Vlatos Jazz Festival flourished as a highlight of Cretan summer culture, presenting intimate, acoustic-only jazz and world music concerts every Sunday evening in the historic 150-year-old stone church (Vlatos Music Hall) in the mountain village of Vlatos, western Crete. Curated by violinist Maria Manousaki, the season ran weekly through summer 2025 (roughly June to mid-September), featuring unplugged performances, candlelit ambiance, mountain breezes, and a limited live audience—celebrating acoustic purity, Cretan-global fusion, and community resilience in a year of mixed global signals.The lineup was dynamic and eclectic, blending Greek/Cretan virtuosos, international guests, and innovative acoustic arrangements. Full concert recordings are archived on the official YouTube channel (
@VlatosJazz, “S08 Vlatos Jazz Season 8 (2025)” playlist with numerous videos), capturing standout artists and performances in high-contrast black-and-white style (filmed on an old Lumix camera):
- Kostas Mitropoulos & Apostolis Leventopoulos — explosive guitar-driven opener.
- Melos String Quartet (led by Maria Manousaki) — chamber-jazz elegance, including “La Vie En Rose” highlights.
- Alexia Katsanevaki — soulful vocals in the Blues Jazz Trio context.
- Maria Manousaki Quartet (with special guest Irina Chirkova on electric cello) — originals like “Behind Closed Doors” from her 2025 album, blending Mediterranean jazz, Cretan tradition, and improvisation (July 20 standout).
- Stefanos Paterakis Trio — vibrant energy.
- 3 Keys Trio (Kleio Goulielmou on trumpet, Andreas Partsiklidis on guitar, Lefteris Papadakis on bass) — starlit jazz brilliance with classics like “St. James Infirmary,” “Nardis,” and “Whisper Not” (August highlight).
- Ilias Zoutsos & Spyros Loukos — lyra meets piano in moonlit magic (August 10).
- Kate Dunphy (accordion wizard from NYC, featuring Maria Manousaki & Lefteris Papadakis) — enchanted, genre-blending tale.
- Meller Family — starlit serenade with strawberry tree tribute.
- Duke Guillaume — soulful sax and monochrome magic.
- Emily Holden — fresh contributions.
- Tetraicho — swashbuckling strings reimagining “Pirates” and more.
- George Chachlakis & Band — explosive rebetiko finale.
- Additional features like Trio Guitars (Apostolis Leventopoulos, Giorgios Limakis, Kostas Mitropoulos) kicking off with guitar gods energy.
Organized by the Cultural Society “New Horizons” (with Marin Vlatos’s involvement), the season remained volunteer-powered, sustainable, and deeply rooted in Cretan heritage—delivering joyful, connective live music as a counterpoint to global turbulence. The archived videos showcase the festival’s artistic maturity, intimate magic, and growing international draw in Crete’s serene mountains.
Kostas Mitropoilos & Apostolis Leventopoulos, Melos String Quartet, Alexia Katsanevaki, Maria Manousaki Quartet, Stefanos Paterakis Trio, 3 Keys Trio, Ilias Zoutsos, Kate Dunphy, Meller Family, Duke Guillaume, Emily Holden, Tetraicho, George Chachlakis
News from Vlatos Village
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Get a front row seat for all Vlatos Jazz concerts with the VIP ticket
You already know the feeling: the hush in the 150-year-old stone church, candles flickering, the first note floating through perfect acoustics straight to your heart.Now imagine that magic… every single […]
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Giorgio Chachlakis & Band: Explosive Rebetiko Finale at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E13 FULL CONCERT “Wow, what a way to close out the season at Vlatos Jazz! Giorgio Chachlakis and his band brought the house down with their electrifying Rebetiko performance straight […]
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Tetraicho’s Swashbuckling Strings: ‘Pirates’ & More Reimagined at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E12 Tetraicho FULL CONCERT VIDEO – Last night’s performance by Tetraicho (Four Sounds) at Vlatos Jazz was a mesmerizing fusion of tradition and whimsy that left the crowd roaring with […]
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Emily Holden’s Cosmic Strings: Super Blood Eclipse at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E11 – Under the velvet Cretan sky on September 7, 2025, as the Earth’s shadow crept across the full moon in a rare super blood eclipse, Vlatos Jazz transformed into […]
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Duke Guillaume’s Soulful Sax & Monochrome Magic at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E10 – This video of the Vlatos Jazz event captures a vibrant and soulful performance set against the rustic charm of Vlatos, Crete. The scene opens with the stage bathed […]
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Meller Family’s Starlit Serenade: Strawberry Tree Tribute at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E09 – A Night of Musical Magic Under the Stars — Last night, Vlatos Jazz Summer 2025 delivered an unforgettable evening at the charming Vlatos Jazz venue, nestled in the […]
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Kate Dunphy’s Enchanted Accordion Tale with Manousaki & Papadakis at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E08.P01 – Last night, under a velvet canopy of stars in the heart of Vlatos, the air thrummed with romance as the renowned accordionist Kate Dunphy from New York took […]
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Ilias Zoutsos’ Lyra & Spyros Loukos’ Piano: Classical Crete Reimagined at Vlatos Jazz 2025
S08.E07.P02 – Last night, August 10, 2025, the Vlatos Jazz Festival in Crete’s serene village of Vlatos delivered a mesmerizing performance under a glowing full moon. Ilias Zoutsos, a virtuoso […]
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Blues Jazz Trio Vlatos Jazz Summer 2025
**Concert Review: Vlatos Jazz – Alexia Katsanevaki’s Enchanting Night of Jazz** On a sultry summer evening at Vlatos Jazz, a packed house basked in the glow of a stellar performance […]
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Vlatos Jazz 2025 with the Melos String Quartet
The Melos String Quartet’s debut at Vlatos Jazz 2025, led by violinist Maria Manousaki, was a highlight of the festival, delivering a performance that fused classical precision with jazz-infused spontaneity. […]