Impressive line-up from the Pharos Trust
THE PHAROS Trust will begin its 7th International Chamber Music Festival this year at the end of May, under the auspices of the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and supported by the Kouklia Community Council and the French Cultural Centre.
Each year, the festival brings some of the classical world’s finest musicians together for an intense week of music making, and this year is no exception. The festival is divided between Nicosia and Kouklia. The Royal Manor House at Kouklia, where the concerts take place, is one of the finest surviving monuments of Frankish architecture on the island and a UNESCO World Heritage site, is situated next to the archaeological site of Aphrodite’s Sanctuary. What could be nicer than enjoying the music in a gothic vaulted hall, then sipping a glass of wine under the stars in the beautiful courtyard during the intermission?
The Music Directors of the Festival Levon Chilingirian and Alex Chaushian have this year included lesser known contemporary composers such as Alfven, Arensky and Aho in addition to favourites by Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Schumann and Mendelssohn.
The sterling work done throughout the year by the Pharos Trust Music Education Programme will be extended to Paphos elementary schools with two free educational concerts to be given by the participating artists.
Tickets for the Festival can be obtained from the following:
Athalassas Music Centre (22-510547), Travelorama (22-452945), Moufflon (22-665155) and Soloneion bookshops, Nicosia (22-666799) and Moufflon Bookshop, Paphos (26-934850).
The Artists in the Festival
Sharon Bezaly / Flute
Described as “God’s gift to the flute”, Bezaly’s technically immaculate and artistically compelling playing has inspired many composers to write works especially for her.
Ian Brown / Piano
A pianist of great versatility whose career embraces chamber music, solo and duo playing and conducting, and since 1978, performances with the Nash Ensemble, with whom he has recorded extensively.
Philippe Cassard / Piano
The celebrated French pianist is renowned for his subtle phrasing and richness of tone. He is hailed as one of the finest interpreters of Debussy, with recent recordings of Schumann and Schubert receiving many accolades. He is artistic director of the major music festival in France – Nuits Romantiques du Lac du Bourget.
Alex Chaushian / Cello
Well known and loved in Cyprus and prize-winner at the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition, Chaushian performs as soloist and chamber musician in Europe and the USA. In 2005, he made his debut as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. He is Artistic Director of the Pharos International Chamber Music Festival together with Levon Chilingirian.
Levon Chilingirian / Violin
Soloist and leader of the Chilingirian Quartet, one of the world’s most celebrated string quartets. Levon Chilingirian is also a committed violin professor and is Artistic Director of the Pharos International Chamber Music Festival together with Alex Chaushian.
David Geringas / Cello
The international career of Geringas began with the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1970. He has broken new ground by introducing the music of contemporary Russian composers such as Gubaidulina, Denisov, Schnittke and Suslin to the west, and several composers have dedicated works to him.
Angela Giannaki / Viola
Angela Giannaki is a member of the State Orchestra of Athens. She has given viola recitals and chamber music concerts in the UK and has appeared in chamber music festivals such as the Mull, Scotland, and Paxos Festival in Greece. She has recently recorded with the Swedish chamber orchestra Camerata Roman.
Steven Isserlis / Cello
Isserlis, appearing for the 2nd consecutive year in the Pharos Trust Festival, is a cellist whose passion for music transcends conventional divisions. Acclaimed worldwide for his musicality and technique, he is a soloist, chamber musician, a proponent of contemporary music and a sought-after teacher.
David Juritz / Violin
For the last 15 years, David Juritz has been the leader of the UK’s longest established chamber orchestra, the London Mozart Players and in this role he has given many world premieres of new works. Their recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has been acclaimed as one of the finest interpretations on modern instruments.
Christoph Poppen / Violin
Poppen is a distinguished conductor, soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue and has made a name for himself winning many awards. As a violinist, he has most recently collaborated with the Hilliard Ensemble in a concert and a recording project of Bach’s Partita in D Minor.
Diemut Poppen / Viola
Poppen is an acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, and wife of Christoph Poppen. As a violist, she has appeared in major music centres throughout the world and is a founding member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. She holds a professorship at the renowned Hochschule f?r Musik in Detmold, Germany and gives several international masterclasses annually.
Ashley Wass / Piano
The young British pianist is recognised as one of the rising stars of his generation. Only the second British pianist in 20 years to reach the finals of the Leeds Piano Competition (in 2000), he was the first British pianist ever to win the top prize at the World Piano Competition in 1997.
Alexander Zemtsov / Viola
Zemtsov has won numerous prizes in international viola competitions and since 2002 he is Principal Viola of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras in Europe, Scandinavia and Russia and is a member of two acclaimed string ensembles, the Hermitage Trio and the Razumovsky Ensemble.
n www.thepharostrust.org
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Nicosia – May 29-31
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Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it and thereby always remain music.
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MUSICAL TERM
Chamber Music : Written for two to ten solo parts featuring one instrument to a part with each part bearing the same importance.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY –
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* Death of Edouard Lalo in 1892
* Premiere of Dvorak’s Symphony No 7 in d minor Op 70 in London 1885
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