Duration 80' without intermission
The Nicosia International Festival... never ends and AKEL, honoring the great composer Michalis Christodoulides, are organizing the concert "On the edges of the coast at the end of the world", dedicated to Cypriot poetry. The concert includes songs from the Akritikos Circle of the 11th and 12th centuries, the love rhymes of the 16th century and songs from today's poetry. The backbone of this concert is the Cypriot dialect as a separate and special part of the Greek language.
The stories of the Akritai are brought to life with shadow theatre techniques behind the orchestra and the singers. A fearsome Saracen appears on stage as a great shadow and becomes the fear and terror of Cyprus. Constantas is called upon to confront him and free Cyprus. The problem of Cyprus' water scarcity is personified in a huge crab that does not let the water run. Constantas is again called upon to save Cyprus from the terrible monster. Finally, the song of the dead brother and the brother's promise to bring the mother the daughter from abroad, even dead.
Michalis Christodoulides Bio
The Cypriot composer studied at the Conservatoire of Paris. He lived and worked in France until 1979, mainly writing music for theatre productions at Comedie Francaise, Theatre National de Strasbourg and Lyon, Theatre de la Ville, Festival d' Avignon etc. He has been awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.
Since 1979 he has been living in Greece where he has written music for more than 70 theatre productions, most of them at the Athens and Epidaurus festival and the Cyprus Theatrical Organization. In addition, he has written music for the opera "The Faces o Medea" for the Boston Opera, the ballets "Amares" for the National Ballet of Cuba, "Odysseus" for the Austin Ballet in Texas and "Mythiamvoi" for the Athens National Opera.
He has written music for twelve films and has received two state awards in Greece and the international award for film music at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Michalis Christodoulides has collaborated with Greek singers such as George Dalaras and Marios Fragoulis, and his works have been performed in France, Russia, Israel, Spain, Italy and the USA.
Credits:
Direction: Michalis Christodoulides
Production: AKEL Culture Sector
Director/design of the Shadow Theatre characters: Andis Partzilis
Concert organizer: AKEL Cultural Office
Lighting design: Karolina Spyrou
Sound: Andreas Giorgallis
Shadow theatre: Pambos Charalambous and Vasiliki Andreou
Singers: Giannis Dionysiou, Katerina Paraschou, Paris Paraschou
Musicians: Charalambos Panteli, lute
Rita Sergidou, cello
Andreas Keliris, viola
Nikos Ioannou, bass
Socrates Leptos, guitar
Elena Papageorgiou, santouri
Eva Stavrou, flute
Festival identity:
The Festival is co-organised by the Nicosia Municipality and Nicosia For Art, and forms part of Nicosia's bid for the European Capital of Culture 2030.
The Festival is presented by ECOMMBX.
Festival Silver Sponsor: Cyprus Public Transport
Festival Bronze sponsor: Embassy of Spain in Cyprus, Deloitte Legal
Hospitality sponsor: The Classic Hotel
For tickets: http://bit.ly/NIF2023_tickets, Stephanis shops and at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre box office (Monday - Friday 10:00-13:00).
Ticket price: €10