By Maria Gregoriou
In music there is truly much pleasure in numbers – and musical pleasure is really what it is all about tomorrow night at the Rialto theatre in Limassol where one piano, one mandolin and nine guitars will come together.
Pianist Manolis Neophytou will be joined on the mandolin by Andreas Christodoulou and the Acordes Guitar Ensemble to get audience members in a real Mediterranean mood. The musicians will be conducted by Zoi Paisanou, who will lead them in their live performance of a unique repertoire of songs and dances from Spain, and compositions by Greek composer and music theorist Manos Hadjidakis. The night will also include music from the Greek cinema and Argentinean tangos by Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla.
Neophytou, from Limassol, is very well known for his piano playing on the Cypriot music scene. He started piano lessons at the age of seven and when he was 11 he entered the Moscow Central Special State Music School. He continued his studies at the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatoire. Upon graduation he moved to France where he undertook postgraduate studies at the Ecole Normale in Paris.
He then obtained a Masters in Performance and Related Studies from Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2004.
The pianist has represented Cyprus three times at the Eurovision Young Musicians Contests in Brussels (1992), Warsaw (1994) and Lisbon (1996). His performance activities include solo recitals and concerts in South Africa, Greece, Russia, Poland, Italy, France, Ireland, UK, Korea and Cyprus.
As a soloist he has collaborated with orchestras such as the Cyprus State Orchestra, Thessalonica State Orchestra, Rostov Symphony Orchestra (Russia), Chestahova Symphony Orchestra (Poland) and Palermo Chamber Orchestra (Italy).
Mandolin player Christodoulou meanwhile studied musicology at the Aristotelio University in Thessaoloniki. He is set to teach youth all about music as he has taught traditional music at the Music School of Limassol and Nicosia.
Now for the guitars. The Acordes Guitar Ensemble varies from eight to 12 musicians and was formed by graduate guitarists who shared – and still do share – a love for music and a desire to present their guitar playing to the general public.
The ensemble plays a wide range of different types of music, and also entertains audiences with musical works that were written especially for the group, as well as instrumental arrangements of famous musical works for guitar.
They colour outside the musical box and use their innovative playing to arrange and present well known melodies in their own special way.
The performance will be repeated in Nicosia at the Art Music Academy next Saturday.
One Piano, One Mandolin and Nine Guitars
Music concert. January 17. Rialto theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. €12/8. Tel: 77-777745
January 23. Arte Music Academy 34-36 Leonidou Street, Nicosia. 8.30pm-10pm. €12/8. Tel: 22-676823
