Kilkis-Made Ancient Greek Lyre Featured in Global Hit Film

The sound of an ancient Greek lyre, built in a family workshop in Europo, Kilkis, played in cinemas worldwide as part of the soundtrack for the animated film David, based on the life of the biblical King David.

The film premiered last December and already recorded an impressive run at the global box office.

The soundtrack, produced by Pressure Cooker Studios, included an authentic reconstructed ancient Greek lyre created by the Koumartzis family instrument workshop, LUTHIEROS, which gained international recognition for researching, rebuilding, and promoting ancient musical instruments.

Thodoris Koumartzis, one of the best-known modern performers of the ancient lyre and a member of the LUTHIEROS family workshop, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that the composer for Angel Studios’ film fully incorporated the lyre’s sound after hearing how authentic it was.

The film surpassed $80 million in revenue, making it the second biggest commercial success in Angel Studios’ history, with further box office potential still ahead.

Koumartzis said the production did not approach the workshop directly. Instead, the composer purchased the instrument independently, recorded it, and used it in the final soundtrack without a formal order or promotional agreement.

“What appears in the film is an instrument of our own construction. They did not contact us — they bought it on their own,” Koumartzis said.

Koumartzis performed internationally in countries including Italy, Germany, Turkey, Singapore, and Cyprus. He also collaborated with major ancient music artists and appeared on the SEIKILO Ancient World Music Channel.

He served as curator of the SEIKILO Museum of Ancient Music in Thessaloniki, where he designed educational experiences for schools and international visitors. The museum received TripAdvisor Awards for several consecutive years.

As part of LUTHIEROS, Koumartzis also worked with institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the International Hellenic University. He presented his work at major cultural venues internationally, from the Archaeological Museum of Nicosia to Frankfurt’s MusikMesse.

Koumartzis said this was not the first time a LUTHIEROS lyre reached major film productions. In 2016, the workshop supplied an instrument used in the soundtrack for the Ben-Hur remake, with music by award-winning composer Marco Beltrami.

However, Koumartzis said David stood out because the lyre did not serve as a decorative sound element. Instead, it became an organic part of the film’s musical storytelling, accompanying scenes, emotions, and dramatic beats throughout the production.

Koumartzis said the success of the film demonstrated that ancient Greek music did not belong only in books and museums, but could hold a living place in modern global creative work.