Konstantinos Maris is a master Cretan lyra musician and instrument maker.  The most popular melodic instrument on the Greek Island of Crete, the lyra is a bowed instrument similar to the violin with three strings tuned in fifths.  Born in Athens, Greece, Maris moved to New York in 1967 where he performed at many venues, including those on the Greek Music Tour sponsored by the NEA and the Ethnic Folk Arts Center.  His repertoire includes more than 100 established songs in a variety of Cretan musical genres.  Maris is skilled in the extemporaneous composition of mantinades - versus consisting of two 15-syllable lines which are often sung to Cretan music.