Breaking out the new

By Maria Gregoriou

Next week will take off with a bang as the fourth Festival of New Music takes place at the ARTos Foundation until Friday.

The festival will be presented by the Centre of Cypriot Composers, and it is supported by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture.

This year, it will host the contemporary music ensemble DissonArt from Thessaloniki, the Cypriot music ensemble Chronos and the percussionist Marios Nicolaou on solo percussion works.

Premieres of works by Cypriot composers and other works of contemporary repertoire will be included, as well as short lectures by Cypriot composers on the subject of contemporary sound creation, and music performances with a focus on improvisation.

The DissonART ensemble was founded in 2005 with the objective of broadcasting the stylistic diversity of new music in Greece and abroad. The ensemble follows the model of similar contemporary orchestral groups with six soloists who associate with partners.

The Chronos Contemporary Music Ensemble was formed to promote contemporary classical music in Cyprus through a professional ensemble. It also works towards promoting and representing the contemporary Cypriot cultural scene abroad by presenting various concerts, seminars and workshops.

The ensemble consists of Virginie Bove (flute), George Georgiou (clarinet), Sorin Alexandru-Horlea (violin), Peter Gospodinov (cello), Marios Nicolaou (percussion) and Drosostalida Moraiti (piano).

Nicolaou, who is from Limassol, studied percussion at the Athens Conservatory and participated in the International Ensemble Modern Academy (Schwaz/Austria) and won the Alexandra Trianti scholarship from the Athens Megaron.

The percussionist has collaborated with ensembles and conductors such as P. Eotvos, D. Bouliane, F. Ollu, K. De Roo, Th. Antoniou, Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Ensemble Neue Music Koln, ensemble dissonΑrt, Chronos ensemble, and the Greek Composers Union Ensemble.

Fourth Festival of New Music
Music and short lectures from Cypriot composers. November 23-27. ARTos Foundation, Nicosia. 8.30pm. Free. Tel: 99-211969

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