9TH INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
6 – 13 October 2017
The Shoe Factory, Nicosia

“EAST music WEST” is the title of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival as it is focused on the evolution of traditional music into what we now identify as ‘new music’. Organised between 6 and 13 October 2017 at The Shoe Factory in Nicosia, the Festival aims to stand as the meeting point of traditions from east to west, from the past to the present: a crossway in which instruments from various cultures mingle with their western descendants, a hybrid platform where the joint but also the contrasting music elements from various traditions around the globe are exposed, and a unique sonic experience where oral and improvisational practices are combined with modern notation and compositional techniques. The Festival will present four distinct concerts, while a number of other corresponding activities, such as lectures, workshops and educational activities, will take place throughout the week. read more...

CONCERT WITH WU WEI (SHENG) AND
NAOMI SATO (SHŌ)
Exploring the sounds of the Far East
FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

The first concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Friday 6 October 2017, will travel us to the Far East and the transcendental sounds of the Chinese Sheng and the Japanese Shō. The Sheng is one of the oldest wind instruments in the world, with a history over 3.000 years. Consisting of several bamboo pipes set in a small windchest, the Sheng has played a significant role in the development of Western musical instruments, including the accordion and the harmonica, as well in the East, where many similar instruments were born out of it. One of these instruments is Sheng’s smaller sibling, the Japanese Shō, which has a very distinct sound, said to be imitating the call of a phoenix, and which has been the source of inspiration for a number of contemporary composers. read more... 

CONCERT WITH SHAWN MATIVETSKY (TABLA)
Tabla – The King of Percussion Instruments
SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

The second concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Sunday 8 October 2017, will be an exciting percussion experience by Shawn Mativetsky – one of the most dynamic performers of Tabla in the world and a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Mativetsky is described by the media as “an exceptional soloist” and “as a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai”. His instrument, the Tabla, is regarded as the king of the percussion instruments and it has a very distinct sound that makes it an integral part of Indian music. Originally associated with the Indian classical dance Kathak as well as the dance traditions of the Tawaifs (sophisticated courtesans during the Mughal rule in the mid-18th century), the Tabla (consisting of two drums, the Bayan and the Dayan) is now used in a variety of genres and styles of Hindustani music. read more...

CONCERT WITH ENSEMBLE C BARRÉ UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SEBASTIAN BOIN
Western Composers Reflecting
Eastern Music
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

The third concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Wednesday 11 October 2017, will host for the first time in Cyprus the outstanding Ensemble C Barré which will join forces with soprano Sarah Maria Sun, under the direction of Sebastian Boin. Associated with the National Centre for Musical Creation of Marseille and having appeared in such venues and festivals as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, Festival Les Musiques and Festival de Chaillol, C Barré is an ensemble of unique personality, quite distinct from today’s musical landscape. read more...

CONCERT WITH THE LINGUA FRANCA ENSEMBLE
Soundscapes of the eastern Mediterranean traditions
FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

On Friday 13 October 2017, the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival will end its journey through the various world music traditions, in an eastern Mediterranean flair with the Lingua Franca Ensemble. The Ensemble, comprising Michalis Cholevas (Yayli Tanbur, Tarhu, Ney), Giannis Koutis (Oud, Guitar), Michalis Kouloumis (Violin) and percussionist Ruven Ruppik (Riq, Darbuka, Frame Drums, Marimba) – all graduates of the Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, circumnavigates on a musical wandering during which the rich eastern Mediterranean traditions and western music elements blend and compose colourful soundscapes. read more...

PIANO RECITAL
KONSTANTIN LIFSCHITZ
Friday 27 October 2017 / 8:30PM

The Pharos Arts Foundation presents for the first time in Nicosia the sensational pianist Konstantin Lifschitz. Having established a worldwide reputation for performing extraordinary feats of endurance with honesty and persuasive beauty, Lifschitz has appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls with leading orchestras, besides being an active recording artist and a commanding conductor. His performance was praised as “the most magical moment” and “deeply satisfying” by The Independent, and “naturally expressive and gripping” by the New York Times. For his recital at The Shoe Factory, on Friday 27 October, Lifschitz will perform a colossal programme with what is considered the twin peak of the classical keyboard repertory: Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. read more...