The timeless effect of music

By Maria Gregoriou

The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra continues its efforts to bring classical music to us all in three concerts – Musical Flavours of Today and Yesterday – on Wednesday in Larnaca, on Thursday in Limassol and in Nicosia on Friday.

The concerts will feature Virginie Bove on her flute, under the music direction of conductor Lisa Xanthopuolou.

The soloist will perform Constantin Papageorgio’s ballet music Illusoes, which is based on an imaginary scenario in which the composer creates illusive atmospheres.

Bove will also bring to life Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1st flute concerto, an energetic piece which radiates melodic gracefulness.

The flute will also perform Francis Poulenc’s only symphonic work, Sinfonietta. The piece was commissioned by the BBC to celebrate the opening of the Third Programme. Poulenc indeed created a melody which brings a celebratory atmosphere to the ear, filled with a dance rhythm, satirical moments and haunting harmonies.

Xanthopoulou was born in Thessaloniki, were she studied piano, advanced music theory and choral conducting at the State Conservatory and the Music College of Thessaloniki.

She has conducted significant German orchestras, such as, Berliner Symphoniker, and Radio Symphony Orchestra of Stuttgart. She has received awards at international conducting competitions such as 1st prize at the 2002 Bad Homburg Conductors’ Contest and 2nd prize at the 5th A.Pedrotti Conductors’ Contest in Trento, Italy, in 1997 (no first prize was awarded that year). She was one of the three finalists in the 5th Conductors’ Contest in Cadaques, Spain.

The conductor has been actively involved in the dissemination of Greek symphonic music abroad, especially in Germany, conducting works by Greek composers in well-known concert halls such as the Berlin Konzerthaus and elsewhere.

Musical Flavour of Today and Yesterday
Performance by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and soloist Virginie Bove on flute, with conductor Lisa Xanthopulou. May 13. Municipal theatre, Larnaca. 8.30pm. €12/7. Tel: 22-463144
May 14. Rialto Theatre, Limassol.
May 15. Pallas Theatre, Nicosia.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.