Bang. Clang. Clash. Ping ting… The onomatopoeia of contemporary music for the uninformed! Yes, those who haven’t given the genre a fair hearing are often surprised to find its unexpected beauty eminently rewarding. But then contemporary music is merely an extension of the classical genre; at one time, according to the Artistic Director of the Pharos Arts Foundation Yvonne Georgiadou, even Beethoven was considered modern!
“300 years or so ago, JS Bach was considered a progressive composer, as were Gesualdo before him, Haydn after him, Beethoven, Wagner, Debussy, Schönberg and so on. And while today the term contemporary music generally denotes that written after the 1970s, the term is more suggestive of aesthetics and techniques than chronology. Perhaps,” Yvonne suggests, “what has best typified contemporary music throughout the years is its composers. Composers who have expanded their listeners’ horizons…”
This, she explains, is the idea behind the upcoming International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, taking place from October 5 to 14 at The Shoe Factory, Nicosia. Every year for the past decade, the invigorating series of concerts, workshops, screenings and lectures has combined the well-established masterpieces of the 20th century with new works from the younger generation of composers. And this year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary, organisers are set to bring together a host of music legends who are set both to change the novice listener’s perception of the genre, and expand the horizons of those who have discovered its delights.
“Pharos’ Contemporary is the first festival of new music that was ever inaugurated in Cyprus back in 2009, rooted in the Pharos Arts Foundation’s deep commitment to music creativity and innovation,” explains Yvonne. “It may not always be the easiest genre to enjoy,” she admits, “but in the right context, it can be extremely enlightening and rewarding. And, above all, it broadens our aural horizons – thus our general perception and intellect. I have always maintained that music is a living organism, it keeps evolving; contemporary classical music can be seen perhaps as the rawest aural reflection of modern man, an art-in-progress of the highest order.”
In keeping with this spirit of innovation, this year’s edition is certain to be a glorious experience. Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich are just a few of the performers in attendance, a “gathering of music legends under one roof, in the span of just a few days, comprising a true historical milestone for the Cyprus culture,” says Yvonne.
Firmly established as an innovative annual music event, the festival has long been both a platform for composers and performers and an inspiration to local audiences. “Nobody can question the fact that Pharos was the first exponent of contemporary music in this country,” states Yvonne. “Long before the inauguration of its contemporary music festival, at a time when knowledge on the matter was scarce and our aural horizons were limited, Pharos was already commissioning the most promising composers from Cyprus to write new works.”
Many Cypriot composers – including the festival’s now artistic director Evis Sammoutis, along with Vassos Nicolaou, Yannis Kyriakides, Andreas Moustoukis, George Christofi, Andreas Tsiartas – embraced these commissions in the early stages of their career, while visiting ensembles and soloists have allowed, over the years, for the development of what is now the highlight of our local contemporary music calendar.
“With the Contemporary Music Festival, we’ve always aimed to give a voice to the numerous living composers from Cyprus and abroad while, at the same time, presenting Cyprus premieres of iconic works written in the 20th century, and expanding musical education on the island through our series of parallel activities,” Yvonne concludes. “But it’s also – we hope – an inspiration to local audiences…”
Audiences who, no matter how initially hesitant, have – over the past decade – come to appreciate that contemporary music is not at all the jarring onomatopoeia one first expects, but rather a joyous leap into auditory innovation that frees both performer and listener!
The Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
At The Shoe Factory in Nicosia from October 5 to 14. For a full programme of events, more information, and tickets, call 22 663871 or visit www.pharosartsfoundation.org
