Pharos Contemporary
Music Festival
The first Festival of its kind to have been inaugurated in Cyprus, in 2009, the International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival has established itself as one of the most innovative and cutting-edge annual music events in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Festival is dedicated to the promotion of new music: The well-established masterpieces of the contemporary music literature of the 20th century as well as new works by the younger generation of composers. The Festival has so far presented hundreds of Cyprus premieres as well as a great number of world premieres by composers who have been especially commissioned by the Foundation to write new pieces for the occasion.
The Festival is rooted in the Pharos Arts Foundation’s deep commitment to music creativity and innovation. Pharos has been the first exponent of contemporary music in Cyprus, having identified important and hugely talented young Cypriot composers and commissioning them to write new works, which were subsequently premiered in Nicosia by international ensembles. Examples include, Réflexions by Vassos Nicolaou, which was premiered by Ensemble intercontemporain; et in terra by Yiannis Kyriakides, which was premiered by the London Sinfonietta; Echopraxia by Evis Sammoutis, which was premiered by Ensemble Modern, and went on to win the Royal Philharmonic Society Award and the prestigious Irino Prize.
The International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival in a nutshell
The first festival of new music to have been inaugurated in Cyprus, in 2009, the International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival is rooted in the Pharos Arts Foundation’s deep commitment to music creativity and innovation. Providing a platform for composers to collaborate with some of the most important soloists and ensembles in the world so that they develop new projects and explore new sound worlds, the Pharos Contemporary Music Festival has been decisive in acquainting the general audience of Cyprus with the music of our times.
The Festival is recognised as one of the most innovative annual events in Europe, having presented a number of ground-breaking interdisciplinary programmes that reflect the profundity of the modern-day man and human spirit, and it has premiered in Cyprus numerous masterpieces of the contemporary music literature of the 20th century as well as works by a younger generation of leading composers.
The 15th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
2th October – 11th October 2024
The 14th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
4th October – 13th October 2023
The 13th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
5th October – 14th October 2022
12th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
8 – 16 October 2021
The Pharos Arts Foundation returns to The Shoe Factory in October to present the 12th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival. From Friday 8 until Saturday 16 of the month, the Festival will feature three distinct concerts alongside a number of other corresponding activities, such as lectures, workshops, and educational activities for the youth. As always, the Festival aims to stand as a melting pot of music traditions, from east to the west, as well as music eras, from the past to the present, so as to trace the evolution of classical music, expose an exciting palette of joint and contrasting elements, trends and compositional techniques, and deliver an exceptional sonic experience to the audience.
The 12th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival opens on Friday 8 October 2021 with a concert by Quatuor Diotima – one of the most acclaimed ensembles of all chamber music in the world today. Reflected in the mirror of today’s music, the Quartet projects a new light onto the masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries, and it has collaborated closely with several of the greatest composers of the late twentieth century, notably Pierre Boulez and Helmut Lachenmann. Quatuor Diotima appears regularly in the world’s finest halls and concert series, such as Quartet Biennale Philharmonie de Paris, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Konserthuset Stockholm, and it has developed a rich and highly-praised discography, with numerous awards, such as Diapason d’Or, Télérama, Grammophone, The Strad. For their concert in Cyprus, the Diotimas will perform string quartets by Béla Bartók, Henri Dutilleux and Helmut Lachenmann. The concert is kindly supported by Institut français de Chypre.
The second concert of the Festival, on Tuesday 12 October 2021, presents Piano For Two from Greece – a duo that comprises pianists Beata Pincetić and Christos Sakellaridis, partners in life and in art. Internationally esteemed with a broad and exciting repertoire for piano four-hands or two pianos, the Duo is active since 2003 and has been impressing audiences and music-critics in Greece and Europe with their virtuosity and unique musicianship. The Duo’s rich repertory for piano four hands spans from the Baroque to contemporary music, while the two pianists collaborate often with contemporary composers in premiering new works, many of which have been exclusively written for them. For their recital in Cyprus, Pincetić and Sakellaridis will present a diverse, kaleidoscopic programme comprising works for piano-four-hands by Edvard Grieg, Johannes Brahms, Philip Glass, John Adams, Takashi Yoshimatsu and Tomohiro Moriyama.
The 12th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival will conclude on Saturday 16 October 2021 with bold tones and pulsating sounds, with Cypriot percussionist Marios Nicolaou delivering a solo performance for multiple percussion. Carving a long and interesting career as a soloist, chamber musicians and orchestral player, Marios is the principal Timpanist of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, while he has appeared with several renowned orchestras in Europe, including the Athens State Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchester Kölner Philharmoniker, and Stadtsorchester Hannover, and has collaborated with a number of renowned composers, conductors, and ensembles, including, Helmut Lachenmann, Péter Eötvös, Franck Ollu, and Ensemble Nue Music Köln. For his recital at The Shoe Factory, Marios Nicolaou will perform works by Helmut Lachenmann, Steve Reich, Bertold Hummel, Casey Cangelosi, Keiko Abe.
12ο Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Σύγχρονης Μουσικής Φάρος
8 – 16 Οκτωβρίου 2021
Το Ίδρυμα Τεχνών Φάρος επιστρέφει στο The Shoe Factory τον Οκτώβριο για να φιλοξενήσει το 12ο Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Σύγχρονης Μουσικής Φάρος. Από την Παρασκευή 8 μέχρι και το Σάββατο 16 του μήνα, το Φεστιβάλ θα παρουσιάσει τρεις μοναδικές συναυλίες, οι οποίες θα συνοδεύονται παράλληλα από διάφορες εκπαιδευτικές δραστηριότητες, εργαστήρια μουσικής και διαλέξεις. Όπως πάντα, το Φεστιβάλ αποβλέπει στο να καταστεί χωνευτήρι μουσικών παραδόσεων, από την ανατολή μέχρι τη δύση, καθώς και μουσικών ιστορικών περιόδων, από το παρελθόν μέχρι το παρόν, ώστε να αναδιφήσει στην εξέλιξη της κλασικής μουσικής, να εκθέσει μια συναρπαστική παλέτα αλληλένδετων και αντιπαραβαλλόμενων μουσικών στοιχείων, τάσεων και τεχνικών σύνθεσης, και να προσφέρει μια εξαιρετική ηχητική εμπειρία στο κοινό.
Το 12ο Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Σύγχρονης Μουσικής Φάρος σηκώνει αυλαία την Παρασκευή 8 Οκτωβρίου 2021 με μία συναυλία από το Quatuor Diotima – ένα από τα πιο περιζήτητα σύνολα μουσικής δωματίου ανά το παγκόσμιο. Αντικατοπτρίζοντας τη μουσική της εποχής μας, το Quatuor Diotima προβάλλει ένα νέο φως στα αριστουργήματα του 19ου και του 20ού αιώνα, και έχει συνεργαστεί στενά με πολλούς από τους σπουδαιότερους συνθέτες του ύστερου 20ού αιώνα, ιδιαίτερα τον Πιερ Μπουλέζ και τον Χέλμουτ Λάχενμαν. Το Κουαρτέτο εμφανίζεται τακτικά μέσα στο πλαίσιο φημισμένων σειρών μουσικής, στις πιο ξακουστές αίθουσες συναυλιών ανά το παγκόσμιο, όπως, Μπιενάλε Κουαρτέτου Εγχόρδων στη Φιλαρμονική του Παρισιού, Φιλαρμονική του Έλβα στο Αμβούργο, Muziekgebouw του Άμστερνταμ και Μέγαρο Συναυλιών της Στοκχόλμης, ενώ έχει αναπτύξει μια πλούσια δισκογραφία που απέσπασε αναρίθμητα βραβεία και διακρίσεις, μεταξύ άλλων, Diapason d’Or, Télérama, Grammophone, The Strad. Για τη συναυλία τους στην Κύπρο, το Quatuor Diotima θα ερμηνεύσει έργα των Μπέλα Μπάρτοκ, Ανρί Ντουτιλέ και Χέλμουτ Λάχενμαν. Τη συναυλία στηρίζει το Institut français de Chypre.
Η δεύτερη συναυλία του Φεστιβάλ, την Τρίτη 12 Οκτωβρίου 2021, παρουσιάζει το Piano For Two από την Ελλάδα – που αποτελείται από τους πιανίστες Beata Pincetić και Χρήστο Σακελλαρίδη, ζευγάρι στην τέχνη αλλά και στη ζωή. Διεθνώς αναγνωρισμένο σε ένα ευρύ και εντυπωσιακό ρεπερτόριο για δύο πιάνα ή πιάνο με τέσσερα χέρια, το ντούο είναι ενεργό από το 2003, συναρπάζοντας κοινό και μουσικοκριτικούς σε Ελλάδα και Ευρώπη με τη δεξιοτεχνία και τη μοναδική του μουσικότητα. Το πλούσιο ρεπερτόριο του ντούο εκτείνεται από την Μπαρόκ μέχρι τη σύγχρονη μουσική, ενώ οι δύο πιανίστες συνεργάζονται τακτικά με συνθέτες της εποχής μας, παρουσιάζοντας έργα σε πρώτη εκτέλεση, πολλά εκ των οποίων γράφτηκαν ειδικά γι’ αυτούς. Για το ρεσιτάλ τους στην Κύπρο, οι Σακελλαρίδης και Pincetić θα παρουσιάσουν ένα ποικίλο, καλειδοσκοπικό πρόγραμμα για πιάνο-τέσσερα-χέρια, με έργα των Έντβαρντ Γκρηγκ, Γιοχάνες Μπραμς, Φίλιπ Γκλας, Τζον Άνταμς, Τακάσι Γιοσιμάτσου, Τομοχίρο Μοριγιάμα.
Το 12ο Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Σύγχρονης Μουσικής Φάρος θα ολοκληρωθεί το Σάββατο 16 Οκτωβρίου 2021 με ήχους δυνατούς και ρυθμικές εντάσεις, με τον κρουστό Μάριο Νικολάου να επιδίδεται σε ένα σόλο ρεσιτάλ για πολλαπλά κρουστά. Έχοντας χαράξει μια μακρά και ενδιαφέρουσα πορεία ως σολίστ, μουσικός δωματίου και μουσικός σε ορχήστρα, ο Μάριος είναι κορυφαίος τυμπανιστής στη Συμφωνική Ορχήστρα Κύπρου, ενώ έχει εμφανισθεί παράλληλα με πολλές σημαντικές ορχήστρες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων, Κρατικής Ορχήστρας Αθηνών, Gürzenich-Orchester Φιλαρμονικής της Κολωνίας και Staatsorchester Ανόβερου, και έχει συνεργαστεί με διεθνούς φήμης συνθέτες, μαέστρους και σύνολα μουσικής, όπως, Χέλμουτ Λάχενμαν, Πίτερ Έοτβος, Φρανκ Όλλου, και Ensemble Nue Music Κολωνίας. Για το ρεσιτάλ του στο The Shoe Factory, ο Μάριος Νικολάου θα ερμηνεύσει έργα των Χέλμουτ Λάχενμαν, Στιβ Ράιχ, Μπέρτολντ Χούμελ, Κάσεϊ Κανγκελόσι, Κέικο Άμπε.
Πληροφορίες & Box Office: Ίδρυμα Τεχνών Φάρος
www.pharosartsfoundation.org & Τηλ. 22-663871 (Δευτέρα – Παρασκευή 10:00πμ-2:00μμ)
Ώρα έναρξης συναυλιών 8:30μμ
Programme
Quatuor Diotima – one of the most acclaimed ensembles of all chamber music in the world today. The Quartet projects a new light onto the masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Piano For Two, which comprises pianists Beata Pincetić and Christos Sakellaridis, is an internationally esteemed duo with a broad and exciting repertoire for piano four-hands or two pianos.
Carving a long and interesting career as a soloist, chamber musicians and orchestral player, Marios is the principal Timpanist of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.
A Look Back at our 11th Contemporary Music Festival
Organised between 4 and 13 October 2019 at The Shoe Factory in Nicosia, the 11th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival featured four unique concerts, as well as a number of educational workshops and other extracurricular activities for the youth of Cyprus.
The Festival opened with the C Barré Plucked Trio performing the The (plucked) Strings Theory Project – a truly exciting programme for the unusual combination of mandolin, harp and guitar, that offers numerous timbral and technical possibilities.
The second concert featured one of the Festival’s closest collaborators, Grammy-nominated violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved in an extraordinary programme for solo violin, entitled Time Traveller – The Nicosia Etudes. Inspired by the sounds, textures, architecture and poetry of various medieval cities, predominantly Nicosia, Peter assembled a programme of newly composed works by a number of leading composers, who have incorporated in their music material from the past, as for example, the extraordinary ‘Cyprus Codex’ (the only known Codex of medieval Western music in the region), the medieval Totentänze, and the colossal ‘Klagenfurt Codex’.
The celebrated composer and vocalist Agata Zubel teamed up with pianist Krzysztof Ksiazek to deliver a unique recital of songs by Crumb, Ravel, Barber, Szymanowski and Obradors. Boasting a rich discography and a number of important prizes, and renowned for her unique vocal range and for her fearless use of techniques that defy stereotypes, Zubel has appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious venues with ensembles and orchestras such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Ensemble Inter-Contemporain, Klangforum Wien, London Sinfonietta, amongst many others.
The Festival concluded with the multimedia musical performance FACE, by Cypriot composer Yannis Kyriakides, photographer Johannes Schwartz and writer Maria Barnas, performed by the ELECTRA Ensemble for New Music. The performance delved into the infinite expressiveness of the face, which has fascinated man for centuries. In the past, scientists assigned all kinds of character traits to people’s faces and the shape of their heads. Now computers and smartphones classify and analyse our most minimal facial expressions for fun, for identity control, or to gauge our mood for commercial gain. In this thrilling multimedia concert for voice, piano, violin, recorders, live electronics and video, composed music merged with facial recognition algorithms translated into sound.
Festival Venues
The Shoe Factory in Ermou Street in Nicosia is the Pharos Arts Foundation’ intimate recital space. Through it, the Foundation has helped to revitalize this beautiful and historic section of the capital city by attracting a wide and diversified younger audience.
The Olive Grove in Delikipos is the Pharos Arts Foundation’s home venue for outdoor concerts. Set in an ancient grove with 800 year old olive trees and pine forest next to a Natura 2000 EU protected area, it offers a spectacular setting for summer concerts.
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