Press Release

19th INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

14 MAY – 6 JUNE 2019

CYPRUS

14 & 22 MAY / THE SHOE FACTORY, NICOSIA

1 – 4 JUNE / ROYAL MANOR HOUSE, KOUKLIA

6 JUNE / THE OLIVE GROVE, DELIKIPOS

The cultural spring season in Cyprus could not reach its pinnacle without the International Pharos Chamber

Music Festival. Recognised as one of Europe's preeminent music festivals and acknowledged all over the world

as Cyprus’ most important annual classical music event, the Pharos Festival has steadily and solidly gained an

unequalled reputation for the quality of its concerts as well as its enchanting atmosphere and settings. With an

important history of 19 years, the International Pharos Chamber Music Festival has evidently and admirably

placed Cyprus, especially the area of Pafos, on the international cultural map: It was the first festival of

classical chamber music to have been established in Cyprus, it has so far organised over 150 unique concerts

with a vast number of world renowned soloists, chamber ensembles and orchestras, and it has created an

unprecedented relationship with thousands of audience from all over the globe, who visit the island especially

to be part of this exceptionally uplifting music experience. The International Pharos Chamber Music Festival

also maintains a strong tradition of community service, having made chamber music more accessible to the

general public and giving the unique opportunity to students in Cyprus to benefit through its educational and

outreach activities at absolutely no cost to them!

THE 2019 EDITION:

Organised between 14 May and 6 June 2019, the 19th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival welcomes to Cyprus some of

the most remarkable artists on the international music scene.

The Festival will open on Tuesday 14 May 2019 at the Pharos Arts Foundation’s recital venue, The Shoe Factory, in Nicosia with a concert by the renowned Belgian ensemble Het Collectief and the celebrated soprano Katrien Baerts, who has been described as “Breathtaking”

and “astoundingly beautiful” (Place de l' Opera), with “a voice and interpretation that are nothing less than a revelation” (Trouw) and “hair-raising feats of vocal agility” (The Telegraph). Their programme consists of an amazing blend of French chamber and vocal repertoire by Ravel, Debussy, Dutilleux and Philippe Gaubert interspersed with pieces by the Finnish Kaija Saariaho who is one of the foremost composers on the planet and one of the leading creative figures of her generation. For its second concert at The Shoe Factory, on Wednesday 22 May 2019, the 19th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival collaborates once again with the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London, to present for the first time in Cyprus pianist Jiyeong Mun – one of

the most exciting young musicians of our times and First Prize winner of the Geneva International Competition in 2014 and the Busoni International Competition 2015. Described as treading on the path of the great Martha Argerich, Jiyeong Mun will deliver a formidable programme of works by Beethoven, Ravel and Chopin. As always, the highlight of the International Pharos Chamber Music Festival is the series of chamber concerts at the Royal Manor House in Kouklia – one of the finest surviving monuments of Frankish architecture in Cyprus and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This year, the Festival encompasses four concerts, from Saturday 1 until Tuesday 4 June 2019, with some of the world’s most celebrated and finest soloists: amongst them, Alexander Ghindin – unanimously acclaimed by critics and music lovers as one of the most charismatic and

original pianists of our times and winner in such prestigious competitions as the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (the youngest ever laureate), the International Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels, and the Cleveland International Piano Competition; violinists Anna Tifu and Doriane Gable as well as pianist Olga Zado – considered amongst the leading female musicians of their generation; the return visits of the remarkable Lars Anders Tomter (described as the “Giant of the Nordic Viola”), and pianist Ashley Wass (described by Gramophone as “a thoroughbred who possesses the enviable gift to turn almost anything he plays into pure gold”), violist David Abrahamyan and cellist Alexander Chaushian. The Festival will also welcome the wonderful Cypriot soprano Zoe Nicolaidou.

What better way to conclude the 19th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival than by setting up the stage of Pharos’ magical open-air venue, The Olive Grove, in Delikipos? For its final concert, on Thursday 6 June 2019, the Festival has invited the brilliant Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra to team up with soloists Anna Tifu (violin), Christel Lee (violin) and Ashley Wass (piano), under the direction of conductor Yiorgos Kountouris. Surrounded by the idyllic forest of Delikipos, in an exceptional atmosphere and landscape, the audience

will indulge in an impressive programme that will include works by Mendelssohn, Sarasate and Vitali.

WHAT, WHEN & WHERE:

Tuesday 14 May 2019 @ The Shoe Factory, Nicosia: Chamber concert with ensemble Het Collectief and soprano Katrien Baerts in

works by Ravel, Debussy, Dutilleux, Philippe Gaubert and Kaija Saariaho

Wednesday 22 May 2019 @ The Shoe Factory, Nicosia: Piano Recital with Jiyeong Mun – First Prize winner of the Geneva and the

Busoni international competitions – in works by Beethoven, Ravel and Chopin.

Saturday 1 June – Tuesday 4 June 2019 @ Royal Manor House, Kouklia: Four chamber concerts with some of the world’s most

renowned soloists (amongst them pianists Alexander Ghindin and Ashley Wass, violinists Christel Lee and Anna Tifu, violist Lars Anders

Tomter) in an exciting and wide-ranging programme.

Thursday 6 June 2019 @ The Olive Grove, Delikipos: A grand finale in the open-air with the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra,

soloists Anna Tifu (violin), Christel Lee (violin) and Ashley Wass (piano), under the direction of conductor Yiorgos Kountouris

**Concerts start at 8.30pm

THE VENUES:

The Shoe Factory, Nicosia is situated in the old part of Nicosia, near the buffer zone. Through it, the Pharos Arts Foundation is helping to

revitalize this beautiful and historic section of the capital city by attracting a wide and diversified younger audience. All concerts are

characterized by a unique feeling of intimacy and music is performed in an exceptionally inspiring setting: a modern venue decorated with

contemporary art by mainly local artists; a venue situated in the “run down” part of Nicosia that offers the audience the unique opportunity

to sit within an amazing proximity to world famous artists and experience performances in a venue like no other.

The Royal Manor House, Kouklia is one of the finest surviving monuments of Frankish architecture on the island and an unparalleled

venue for intimate chamber music performances. The building also houses an archaeological museum, which records the rich history of

human activity in the region from about 2800 BC to the present day. The Royal Manor House, which is part of the Cyprus Tourism

Organisation’s “Aphrodite’s Cultural Route”, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Palaipaphos, or Old Paphos, was a city-kingdom of

Cyprus and one of the most celebrated pilgrimage centres of the ancient Greek world. It was the site of a famous sanctuary of Aphrodite,

the oldest remains of which date back to the 12th century BC. Join us in a leisurely exploration of the history and cultural heritage of the

western region of Cyprus.

The Olive Grove, Delikipos is a world-class, open-air concert venue, which aims to deliver relaxed and informal events so that intimacy is

developed between the artists and the audience. The venue is surrounded by the idyllic forest of Delikipos and is adorned with wooden

decks, shallow pools of water, zen landscaping and a uniquely atmospheric lighting. The audience can relax on the chairs, blankets and

pillows with a glass of wine.

THE ARTISTS:

Ensemble Het Collectief & soprano Katrien Baerts

Piano: Jiyeong Mun, Alexander Ghindin***, Ashley Wass, Olga Zado

Violin: Christel Lee, Anna Tifu, Doriane Gable

Viola: Lars Anders Tomter, David Abrahamyan

Cello: Alexander Chaushian

Soprano: Zoe Nicolaidou

Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Yiorgos Kountouris

*** The Festival is thankful to Mr. Ghindin for replacing at a very short notice Mr. Sergei Babayan, who has been announced initially and who unfortunately had to cancel his participation this year for personal reasons.

PROGRAMME: For the detailed programme of each concert, visit www.pharosartsfoundation.org

INFORMATION & TICKETS:

Information & Box Office: www.pharosartsfoundation.org & Tel: +357 22-663871 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm)

Tickets: €15 / €10 (Concessions, Members of the Pharos Arts Foundation)

Tickets also available from: KYRIAKOU FULLPAGE BOOKSHOPS: 30 Ellados Ave., 8020 Paphos, Tel. 26-822850

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:

ENSEMBLE HET COLLECTIEF

The chamber music ensemble Het Collectief was founded in 1998 in Brussels.

Working consistently from a solid nucleus of five musicians, the ensemble has

created an intriguing and idiosyncratic sound, achieved by an unfamiliar mix of

strings, wind instruments and piano.

In its repertoire, Het Collectief returns to the Second Viennese School, the roots

of modernism. Starting from this solid basis, it explores the important repertoire of

the 20th century, as well as the very latest experimental trends, while it also

creates a furore with daring crossovers between the contemporary and the

classical repertoire and with adaptations of ancient music. Next to the many

concert venues in Belgium, Het Collectief regularly brings its productions to

important concert halls all over the world, including The Netherlands, France,

Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, UK, Hong Kong, Peru and Brazil.

KATRIEN BAERTS / soprano

Described as “Breathtaking” and “astoundingly beautiful” (Place de l' Opera),

with “voice and interpretation which are nothing less than a revelation” (Trouw)

and “hair-raising feats of vocal agility” (The Telegraph), Belgian soprano Katrien

Baerts has been noted for her powerful and sensual voice as well as for her

profound and heartfelt interpretation.

Baerts made her debut at the National Opera in Amsterdam in a new production

of Berg’s Lulu, and made her first appearance in Tokyo in Kris Defoort’s House

of the Sleeping Beauties. She has performed several world premieres at the

Concertgebouw Amsterdam, including Clara in Loevendie's opera The Rise of

Spinoza and in the title role of Zuidam's Suster Bertken. In Jakarta, Indonesia,

Katrien Baerts created the title role in Prabowo's dance-opera Gandari. Further

roles include Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, Amina in Bellini’s La sonnambula,

Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Miss Wordsworth in Britten’s Albert Herring, Stimme des Falken and Hüter der Schwelle in Richard

Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten and Amore and Valletto in Monteverdi’s L'Incoronazione di Poppea.

Her concert repertoire includes Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Bach's St. John Passion and Cantate BWV 202, Brahms’ Requiem, Mahler's 4th

Symphony, Britten’s Les Illuminations and Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre, with orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,

the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Katrien Baerts

has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Richard Egarr, Vladimir Jurowski, Oliver Knussen, Reinbert de Leeuw, Emilio

Pomárico and Bas Wiegers. Her debut at the Barbican Centre in London was enthusiastically received by the press.

Recent and forthcoming engagements include a re-invitation to the Salzburger Festspiele with Klangforum Wien performing the role of Sie

in Beat Furrer’s Begehren, her debut as Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Holland Opera, Claude Vivier’s Lonely Child with the

WDR Symphony Orchestra in Köln, Beethoven's Incidental Music for Goethe's Egmont with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and

Dutilleux's Le temps l’horloge with the Brussels Philharmonic.

PROGRAMME:

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Chansons Madécasses for Cello, Piano & Soprano (1925)

Kaija Saariaho (b.1952): Cendres (1998)

Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013): Sonatine for Flute & Piano (1943)

Kaija Saariaho (b.1952): Die Aussicht for Cello, Piano & Soprano (1998)

Interval

Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Le Balcon from Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire (1887)

Kaija Saariaho (b.1952): Oi kuu for Bass-Flute & Cello (1990)

Philippe Gaubert (1879-1941): Trois Aquarelles for Flute, Cello & Piano (1921)

CHAMBER CONCERT WITH ENSEMBLE HET COLLECTIEF AND SOPRANO KATRIEN BAERTS

Tuesday 14 May 2019 @ The Shoe Factory, Nicosia

JIYEONG MUN / piano

Jiyeong Mun won the Geneva International Competition in Switzerland in

2014, at the age of 18, and subsequently won the Busoni International

Competition in Italy in 2015. Since then, she has gained a reputation as one

of the most sought-after musicians and pianists of her generation, having

performed with some of the world’s most important orchestras and

conductors.

Jörg Demus, President of the Jury of the 60th International Busoni

Competition, considered her as treading on the path of the great Martha

Argerich, who had previously won the same competition in 1957 - “I have

rediscovered in her a naturalness of musicality that I thought had

disappeared”, he praised. Her success is not surprising nevertheless, for

Jiyeong Mun has proved her virtuosity early on when she had won a

number of international competitions such as the Arthur Rubinstein

International Piano Master Competition in 2009, the Ettlingen International

Competition for Young Pianists in Germany in 2012 and the Takamatsu

International Piano Competition in Japan in 2014.

Jiyeong Mun has appeared with orchestras such as the Swiss Romande

Orchestra, the Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Japan Philharmonic

Orchestra, the Trieste Verdi Theater Orchestra in Italy, the Olympic Theater

Orchestra, the Busoni Nuova Orchestra, under the baton of conductors such

as Myung-whun Chung, Lionel Bringuier, Alexander Shelley, Valentina

Peleggi, Dietrich Paredes and Massimo Belle.

Recent engagements include, a tour of Italy with the Haydn Orchestra under

maestro Benjamin Bayl, a tour around Asia with the Korean Symphony

Orchestra, her US debut at the Steinway Hall in New York, concerts at the

Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Dvorak Hall in Prague,

the Philharmonie Arthur Rubinstein in Bydgoszcz, recitals and chamber

concerts for the Seoul Arts Center and as part of the Seoul Spring Festival

of Chamber Music, and orchestral concerts with the Seoul Philharmonic

Orchestra and the KBS Symphony Orchestra, amongst others.

PROGRAMME:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Piano Sonata No.31 in A-flat major, Op.110 (1821)

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): Fantasie in F minor, Op.49 (1841)

Interval

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): Miroirs (1905)

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937): La Valse, poème chorégraphique pour piano (1920)

PIANO RECITAL WITH JIYEONG MUN

Wednesday 22 May 2019 @ The Shoe Factory, Nicosia

CHRISTEL LEE / violin

First-prize winner of the 2015 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in

Helsinki, violinist Christel Lee became the first North American winner in its fifty-year

history. She was subsequently invited in December 2015 to perform with the Helsinki

Philharmonic Orchestra and chief conductor John Storgårds on the orchestra’s tour to

Birmingham and Dublin in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sibelius.

Her success in Helsinki has been preceded by numerous awards and distinctions,

including the Second Prize and Audience Prize at the 2013 ARD International

Competition in Munich.

As a soloist, Lee has appeared with orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Symphony,

Bavarian Radio Symphony, Korean Symphony, KBS Symphony, Vancouver

Symphony, Aspen Sinfonia and the SWR-Stuttgart Radio Symphony. A multi-faceted

artist, Lee is a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with leading artists of her

generation. She is invited regularly to festivals across Europe and North America,

among which include the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mozartfest Würzburg and

Kronberg Academy Festivals.

Highlights from her future engagements include solo appearances with the Helsinki

Philharmonic, Korean Symphony, and Philharmonie Südwestfalen, as well as her

festival debuts in Gstaad, the Cantabile Festival in Lisbon and Settimane Musicali

Ascona in Locarno.

Of Korean heritage, Lee was born in Bloomington and grew up in New York. She is a

graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, the Kronberg Academy and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. She plays on a

violin by Lorenzo Storioni from 1781, which has been kindly on loan to her from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben in Hamburg since 2015.

ANNA TIFU / violin

Winner of the 2007 George Enescu Competition in Bucharest Anna Tifu is

considered one of the leading violinists of her generation.

She made her debut as a soloist at the age of 11 with the Orchestre National des

Pays de la Loire and at the age of 12, she performed the Bruch Violin Concerto at

La Scala in Milan. At 14, she won the First Prize both in the Viotti Valsesia and

the Marcello Abbado international competitions. Anna studied with Salvatore

Accardo at the Academy Walter Stauffer in Cremona and at the Academy

Chigiana of Siena. She furthered her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in

Philadelphia and at the Ecole Normale in Paris, where she received her Diplome

Superieur de Concertiste.

As a soloist, Tifu has appeared with many of the world’s finest orchestras and

chamber ensembles, including orchestras of Santa Cecilia, RAI, Arena di Verona,

Carlo Felice in Genova, La Fenice in Venice, Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo

Toscanini, Simòn Bòlivar Orchestra of Venezuela, Orchestre Philarmonique de

Radio France, Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio

Orchestra of Bucharest, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, amongst others. She has collaborated with

conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov, Gustavo Dudamel, Diego Matheuz, David Afkham, Juraj Valcuha, John Axelrod, Christoph Poppen,

to name but a few.

Tifu has appeared in some of the world’s most important venues, including, La Scala and Sala Verdi in Milan, Auditorium Parco della

Musica di Roma, Great Hall of Saint Petersburg, Tchaikovsky Concert Hall of Moscow, Berlin Konzerthaus, Beethovensaal of Stuttgart,

Dvorak Hall of Prague, Ateneo and Sala Palatului in Bucharest, Staples Center of Los Angeles, Simòn Bòlivar Hall of Caracas. In chamber

music, she has collaborated with musicians such as Maxim Vengerov, Yuri Bashmet, Ezio Bosso, Julien Quentin, Giuseppe Andaloro,

Pekka Kuusisto, Mario Brunello, Michael Nyman, amongst others.

Recently, Anna Tifu made her debut for Warner Classics where she recorded with the Italian pianist Giuseppe Andaloro. She is the face of

Alitalia Airlines, along with Riccardo Muti, director Giuseppe Tornatore and dancer Eleonora Abbagnato.

Anna Tifu plays the 1716 Antonio Stradivari “Marèchal Berthier” ex Napoleon on loan from the Associazione Canale of Milan.

CHAMBER CONCERTS IN KOUKLIA WITH CHRISTEL LEE, ANNA TIFU, DORIANE GABLE (VIOLIN), LARS

ANDERS TOMTER, DAVID ABRAHAMYAN (VIOLA), ALEXANDER CHAUSHIAN (CELLO), SERGEI BABAYAN,

ASHLEY WASS, OLGA ZADO (PIANO), ZOE NICOLAIDOU (SOPRANO)

Saturday 1 June – Tuesday 4 June 2019 @ Royal Manor House, Kouklia

DORIANE GABLE / violin

Born in 1982, Doriane Gable was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de

Musique of Paris when she was just 15 years of age, and continued with her postgraduate

studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur of Lyon. She was appointed solo violin of

the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris at the age of 23, a position she held for eight

years until 2014. During that time, she worked closely with many leading conductors,

including Seiji Ozawa, Valery Gergiev, Christoph Von Dohnànyi and Philippe Jordan.

Much in demand as a chamber musician, Doriane has been invited to participate in

numerous festivals, including the Berlioz Festival, Geneva, Val d’Isère, La Rochelle,

Tillac, Moissac, Jeunes Talents, Château de Tilly, Montauban, Loches, Auxerre, Sens,

Cluny, Villevieille and Assiez, amongst others. Performances have taken her all over the

world, where she has collaborated with renowned artists such as Gary Hoffman, Jean-

Frédéric Neuburger and Xavier Philips and she was a member of the leading French

quartet, Quatuor Parisii, from 2014 until 2017.

She has appeared as a soloist in concertos by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Bach, Bartok

and Haydn with the Symphonic and Lyric orchestras of Paris and as a guest leader with

the ensemble Les Dissonances, with whom she collaborates frequently. Doriane has also

been invited to play in the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Radio France Philharmonic

Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the orchestras of Lille and Auvergne, the European Union Chamber Orchestra, the

Luxembourg Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of Paris, as concertmaster, associate concertmaster and principal second violin.

LARS ANDERS TOMTER / viola

Lars Anders Tomter is one of today's most outstanding violists. Hailed as the “The Giant of the

Nordic Viola” by The Strad, Tomter studied at the Oslo Music Conservatory and the Norwegian

State Academy of Music.

He was awarded a special prize for his interpretation of Bartók's Viola Concerto at the

International Viola Competition in Budapest in 1984 and then went on to win the Maurice Vieux

International Competition in Lille in 1986. He has been greeted with the highest public and

critical acclaim throughout Europe and the United States, ever since, in venues such as Vienna

Musikverein, New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin and the

Kölner Philharmonie.

He has performed as soloist with such renowned orchestras as BBC Symphony, Royal

Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, City of Birmingham Symphony

Orchestra, RSO Frankfurt, NDR Radio Philharmonic Hannover, Czech Philharmonic, KBS

Symphony Orchestra, Dutch Radio Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Oslo

Philharmonic, and Danish National Radio Symphony, under the baton of renowned conductors such as Marc Albrecht, Sylvain Cambreling,

Dennis Russell Davies, Olari Elts, Daniele Gatti, Manfred Honeck, Eivind Gullberg Jensen and Krzysztof Penderecki.

Lars Anders Tomter is a regular guest at important festivals such as BBC Proms, Lockenhaus, Kissingen Summer and Verbier and he is

co-artistic director of the Norwegian Risør Chamber Music Festival. He has recorded for Simax, Naxos, Virgin Classics, NMC, Somm and

Chandos. Tomter collaborates frequently with internationally renowned musicians in chamber music projects and he has distinguished

himself for his extensive performances of new music, including the world premiere of four concertos by Ragnar Söderlind, Erkki-Sven Tüür,

Rolf Wallin and Anders Eliasson, which have all been written for and dedicated to him. He is a Professor at the State Academy in Oslo,

supervising a number of Norway's most talented string players and, since 2013, he has been Professor at the Royal Danish Music

Academy, Copenhagen.

DAVID ABRAHAMYAN / viola From a very young age, David Abrahamyan has collaborated with the Luxemburg Philarmonic,

OSPA in Oviedo Spain, Lagen Laden in Brussels where he was solo viola or Salzburg Chamber

Soloists under the artistic direction of Lavard Skou Larsen. He has performed under the baton of

conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta, Bernard Haitnk, Roberto Benzi, Jesús López

Cobos or Plácido Domingo, amongst others. Between 2005 and 2009, he was the founder and

artistic director of the master-class series "Musical Improvement" in Felechosa (Asturias- Spain)

inviting teachers like Dora Schwarzberg, Liviu Prunaru, Alexander Chaushyan, Ashley Wass,

Wolfgang Meyer, Gunter Pichler, Gustav Rivinius, Mikhail Kopelman or Boris Belkin.

Abrahamyan’s chamber music partners have included Boris Belkin, Alba Ventura, Daishin

Kashimoto, Boris Andreanov, Ashley Wass, in concert halls like Concertgebouw of Amsterdam,

Koncerthaus in Berlín, Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, Sala Mozarteum in Salzburg, KKL in

Lucerne, Royal Festival Hall in London, Queen Elisabeth Hall in London, Auditorio Nacional in

Madrid, Salle Playel in París, Palais de Bozar in Brussels, Sala Sao Paolo in San Paolo or

Teatro Manzoni in Bologna. Has recorded a DVD performing Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht in the Singel in Antwerpen, a collaboration

project between Europe and South Korea, also has recorded two CDs for Dutch Records Company with the Dutch composer Wim Zwaag,

who dedicated his Adagio for Viola to David.

ALEXANDER CHAUSHIAN / cello

Regarded as one of the finest cellists of his generation, Alexander Chaushian has

performed extensively throughout the world as a soloist with orchestras such as the Vienna

Chamber Orchestra at Vienna’s Konzerthaus and at the Bruchnerhaus in Linz, the London

Mozart Players and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Orchestre de la Suisse

Romande, the Royal National Orchestra of Belgium, Les Solistes Européens de

Luxembourg in a gala concert conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, the Boston Pops Orchestra at

Boston Symphony Hall, and the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

He has given highly acclaimed performances in such venues as London’s Royal Festival

Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall, Sala Verdi Milan, and Suntory Hall Japan.

Chaushian has won the Third Prize in the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition in

Moscow and the Third and Special prizes given by the Munich Chamber Orchestra at the

ARD Competition in Germany in 2005. Amongst the many distinguished musicians whom

he has collaborated with are Yehudi Menuhin, Julia Fischer, Levon Chilingirian, Yuri

Bashmet, François-Frédéric Guy, Emmanuel Pahud. His regular chamber music partner is

Yevgeny Sudbin. Alexander’s recordings include several highly acclaimed CDs for the BIS

label in which he is partnered by Yevgeny Sudbin, and his recently released concerto CD with the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra, also

on BIS, received rave reviews and was selected ‘Album of the Week’ by the Independent.

ALEXANDER GHINDIN / piano

“Alexander Ghindin is not just a virtuoso, of which there are few on the stage

today. He is also a true personality, a poet and a singer of the piano, an inspired

lyricist and dramatist who has a subtle feel for the music and conveys the

composers’ ideas” Music Review

Alexander Ghindin has been unanimously acclaimed by critics and music lovers

as one of the most charismatic and original pianists of the present day. Born in

Moscow, in 1977, he became an international sensation when in 1994, at the age

of seventeen, before even entering the Conservatoire, he became the youngest-

ever laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. A few

years later, in 1999, Alexander Ghindin won the Second Prize at the prestigious

International Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels – a success which

contributed in the beginning of an extremely busy career with concerts and tours

around the world, as well as the release by Ondine Records of the world premiere

recording of the original version of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4,

with Ghindin teaming up with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton

of Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 2006, Ghindin was named Honoured Artist of Russia,

and in 2007, he won the First Prize at the Cleveland International Piano

Competition, and he was subsequently engaged for over fifty concerts in the US,

receiving raving reviews from the press – “He made a staggering impression on

the audience, demonstrating such a high level of mastery that makes every one of

his performances special and unforgettable.” (Art and Life).

Alexander Ghindin has appeared with such renowned orchestras as Orchestre de

Paris, Orchestre National de Belgique, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Salzburg Camerata, the Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra,

the London Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Helsinki, Luxemburg, Liège, Freiburg, Monte Carlo and

Munich, Japan’s Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, New Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra and Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as with

all the major orchestras of Russia, including the Grand Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia,

the Russian National Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, the St Petersburg Orchestra of the State Hermitage. He has collaborated with prominent

conductors, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Krzysztof Penderecki, Paavo Järvi, Vladimir Spivakov, Vasily Sinaisky, James DePreist,

Leonard Slatkin, Vladimir Fedoseyev, to name but a few.

Ghindin is a frequent participant in some of the world’s most distinguished music festivals such as the Swedish Royal Festiva l in

Stockholm, the Radio France Festival, La Roque d’Anthéron, Folle journee (France), Kissinger Sommer and Ruhr Piano Festival

(Germany), Rising Stars Festival (Poland), Echternach Music Festival (Luxembourg), Festival of Sintra (Portugal), and in Russia, in the

Russian Winter Festival, Stars at the Kremlin, The New Century of Russian Piano Music, Vladimir Spivakov Invites, and the International

Sakharov Arts Festival.

Since 2006, Alexander Ghindin has been Artistic Director of his own concert series at one of Russia’s most distinguished concert venues,

the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International Performing Arts Centre; he is the International Artistic Co-Director of the Swedish Royal

Festival, as well as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Ensemble of Soloists "Hermitage" and the Kaluga Youth Symphony

Orchestra.

Ghindin’s rich discography encompasses 28 albums for major companies including Decca, Capriccio, Ondine and Naxos.

ASHLEY WASS / piano

Described as an “endlessly fascinating artist” and as “a

thoroughbred who possesses the enviable gift to turn almost

anything he plays into pure gold” (Gramophone Magazine),

Ashley Wass is firmly established as one of the leading

performers of his generation. A graduate of the Royal Academy

of Music, he is a prize-winner at the Leeds Piano Competition, a

former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist and the only British

winner of the London International Piano Competition, a victory

that led to a recording contract with Naxos, making him the first

solo artist to obtain an exclusive deal with the label. His first

recording was a highly praised CD of César Franck piano music,

released in 1999.

Highly in demand on the international stage, Ashley has

performed at many of the world’s finest concert halls including

the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus.

He has performed as soloist with numerous leading ensembles,

including all of the BBC orchestras, the Philharmonia, Orchestre

National de Lille, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong

Philharmonic, RLPO, and under the baton of conductors such as

Simon Rattle, Osmo Vanska, Donald Runnicles, Ilan Volkov and Vassily Sinaisky.

Renowned for a broad and eclectic repertoire, Ashley has received great critical acclaim for his recordings of music from a wide range of

styles and eras, with glowing reviews of his interpretations of composers such as Liszt, Franck, Beethoven, and Bridge. His survey of Bax’s

piano music was nominated for a Gramophone Award and his discography boasts a number of Gramophone ‘Editor’s Choice’ recordings

and BBC Music Magazine ‘Choices’.

Alongside his work as a soloist and chamber musician, Ashley Wass is the co-founder of Mash Productions – a production company

focused on innovative projects, he was, for eleven years, the Artistic Director of one of the UK’s leading annual events – the Lincolnshire

International Chamber Music Festival, and is Deputy Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

OLGA ZADO / piano

Described as a “magician of the piano” (Mannheimer

Morgen), Olga Zado touches audiences and critics

around the world with her deep poetic musicianship and

sparkling electrifying technique. As a highly gifted child,

Olga gave her first solo recitals and performances with

orchestras from the young age of 7, making her

international debut at the Kulturcasino Bern at the age of

12, performing the Mozart Piano Concerto K.488. Born

in Odessa, she received her musical education at the

renowned Stolyarsky Special Music School for young

prodigies and continued her studies at the University of

Music and Performing Arts in Bern. Olga Zado is a

laureate of the Vladimir Horowitz and Sergei Prokofiev

international piano competitions, as well as a winner of

the Therese-Dussault-Special-Prize at the Vladimir

Kraynew Competition.

Olga Zado has performed as a soloist in major European

concert venues, including Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonie at the Gasteig Munich, Mozarteum Salzburg, Meistersingerhalle

Nuremberg, Konzerthaus Karlsruhe and the Kremlin in Moscow. She has collaborated with orchestras such as the German Radio

Philharmonic, the Mannheim Philharmonic, the Ukrainian National Philharmonic, the Bari Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. Olga is

also passionately dedicated to chamber music and collaborates with partners such as Antonio Meneses, Sergei Nakariakov, Alena Baeva,

Alissa Margulis, Robert Kowalski, Jelena Ocic, Friedemann Eichhorn and others.

Olga Zado is a Steinway Artist and she held scholarships of the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation, the Apogey

International Fund, the Music Association Legato Bern and the Lyra Foundation in Switzerland.

ZOE NICOLAIDOU / soprano

Praised by the French press as "a honey-colored voice with a noble sound

and moving presence", the Cypriot soprano Zoe Nicolaidou studied at the

University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna – Magister Artium. She

subsequently completed the Paris Opera’s Young Artists Program (Atelier

Lyrique) where she was trained from 2009 until 2011, at which time she

received the Award for the most promising young singer of the season, Le Prix

Lyrique du cercle Carpeaux. She is also the First Prize winner of the

Schlossoper Haldenstein International Singing Competition and the Kyrenia

Opera Award.

Nicolaidou made her debut at the Opera National de Paris as Prima Sorella in

Puccini’s Suor Angelica under the baton of Philippe Jordan, and she returned

to perform in Fenelon’s Faust under Bernharndt Kontarsky, Mozart’s Le Nozze

di Figaro – alongside Erwin Schrott and Dorothea Röschmann – under the

baton of Dan Ettinger, Gluck’s Orpheus und Eurydike under Thomas

Hengelbrock, and the soprano solo in Mahler’s Fourth Symphony.

She has appeared in renowned venues and festivals including Palais Garnier

in Paris, Musikverein Wien, Kammeroper Wien, Lincoln Center in New York,

Rudolfinum in Prague, Villa Medicis in Rome, Montpellier Opéra, Festival

Echternach, Amphitheatre of Bastille, Chapelle Royale de Versailles, Palacio

Euskalduna in Bilbao, Casa da Musica in Portugal, Festival La Roque

d’Antheron, Wratislavia Cantans Festival, Wiltz Festival, Pharos Arts

Foundation, Opéra de Toulon, Klangvokal Dortmund Festival.

Throughout her career, Nicolaidou has tackled such diverse operatic roles as both Susanna (Festival Oper Klosterneuburg) and Contessa

in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Mae Jones in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene (Amphitheatre Bastille), Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium,

Amore and Valetto in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Schönbrunner Theater and Festival de Menton in France under Maestro

J.C. Spinosi), Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen. Nicolaidou is equally comfortable in recital and concert and her concert repertoire covers oratorio

and symphonic works such as Brahms’ Requiem (Festival La Roque d’Antheron), Mahler's Symphony No.4 (Bilbao Concert Hall, Palacio

Euskalduna Kuursaal, Vitoria Theatre, Pamplona Auditorio, Casa da Musica in Portugal and Thessaloniki State Orchestra), Bach’s B minor

Mass (Real Filharmonia de Galicia under the baton of Antoni Ros-Marba), Von Williams' Serenade to Music (Palais Garnier conducted by

Philippe Jordan), Händel's Dixit Dominus and Vivaldi's Gloria (Palau de la Musica Cataluña Barcelona, Chapelle de la Trinité in Lyon,

Angers Nantes Opera and Chapelle Royale de Versailles) amongst others.

PROGRAMME @ ROYAL MANOR HOUSE, KOUKLIA:

SATURDAY 1 JUNE

W.A Mozart (1756-1791): Piano Quartet No.1 in G minor, K.478 (1785)

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Five pieces for Violin, Viola & Piano (1955)

Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) & Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000): Songs for Soprano & Piano

Josef Suk (1874-1935): Piano Quartet in A minor, Op.1 (1891)

SUNDAY 2 JUNE

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Sonata for Violin & Piano No.2 in D major, Op.94 (1943)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano in A minor, Op.114 (1891)

César Franck (1822-1890): Piano Quintet in F minor (1879)

MONDAY 3 JUNE

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op.11 (1797)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) & Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Songs for Soprano & Piano

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): Piano Trio élégiaque No.1 in G minor (1892)

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943): Piano Trio élégiaque No.2 in D minor, Op.9 (1893)

TUESDAY 4 JUNE

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849): Piano Recital with Sergei Babayan

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): Piano Quintet No.2 in A major, Op.81 (1887)

What better way to conclude the 19th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival than by setting up the stage of Pharos’

magical open-air venue, The Olive Grove, in Delikipos? For its final concert, on Thursday 6 June 2019, the Festival has invited

the brilliant Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra to team up with soloists Anna Tifu (violin), Christel Lee (violin) and Ashley Wass

(piano), under the direction of conductor Yiorgos Kountouris. Surrounded by the idyllic forest of Delikipos, in an exceptional

atmosphere and landscape, the audience will indulge in an impressive programme that will include works by Mendelssohn,

Sarasate and Vitali.

Winner of the 2007 George Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Anna Tifu is considered one of the leading violinists of her generation. As a

soloist, she has appeared with many of the world’s finest orchestras, including the orchestras of Santa Cecilia, RAI and Arena di Verona,

Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Simòn Bòlivar Orchestra, Orchestre Philarmonique de Radio France, Stuttgart Philharmonic,

Dortmund Philharmonic, George Enescu Philharmonic, Lithuanian and Munich Chamber Orchestras, under the baton of such conductors

as Yuri Temirkanov, Gustavo Dudamel, David Afkham, Juraj Valcuha.

First-prize winner of the 2015 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki, violinist Christel Lee has impressed the audiences

all over the world with her extraordinary interpretations, having appeared as a soloist with some of the most important orchestras such as

the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Korean Symphony, KBS Symphony,

Vancouver Symphony, Aspen Sinfonia and the SWR-Stuttgart Radio Symphony.

Described as an “endlessly fascinating artist”, Ashley Wass is firmly established as one of the leading performers of his generation. He is

the only British winner of the London International Piano Competition, prize-winner at the Leeds Piano Competition, and a former BBC

Radio 3 New Generation Artist. In great demand on the international stage, Ashley has performed at many of the world’s finest concert

halls including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus. He has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras, including

all of the BBC orchestras, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic, under the baton of conductors such as Simon

Rattle, Osmo Vanska, and Vassily Sinaisky.

CYPRUS YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

With over 80 members of ages 9 to 26 years old, selected through auditions, the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra, is the most important

youth music ensemble of the country. As a full member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras (EFNYO), it functions

according to the highest artistic standards, promoting music, training young musicians for professional careers and building future

audiences.

The CyYSO presents 4-5 major programmes per year attended by approximately 5,000 people. The 5 permanent ensembles of the

Orchestra perform in about 30 events every year, including the opening of the annual State Educational Fair, international conferences, the

Prize-giving Ceremony of the European Schools’ Competition, and various other state, community or beneficiary events.

During its 27-year history, the CyYSO has given hundreds of concerts in Cyprus and abroad, covering a wide range of repertoire enjoyed

by many thousands of people. The orchestra has toured in countries like Italy, Turkey, Greece, Israel etc.

YIORGOS KOUNTOURIS / conductor

Yiorgos Kountouris is the Artistic Director of the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra and its Music School. He graduated from the St.

Petersburg State Conservatory in 2006, where he studied Symphonic and Operatic Conducting with Prof. Alexander Alexeev and Violin

with Prof. Antonina Kazarena. The same year, Kountouris was appointed at the University of California, Los Angeles, assistant conductor

of the UCLA Philharmonia and UCLA Symphony Orchestras.

He has conducted numerous orchestras in Europe, the US and Russia. Some indicative collaborations of the maestro include the St.

Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the Hermitage State Chamber Orchestra, the Athens Camerata as

well as the Lege Artis and Wiener Singakademie choirs. Yiorgos Kountouris performed in some of the world’s most historic music venues

such as the Wiener Konzerthaus, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, the Athens Megaron and the Royce Hall in Los Angeles.

He had his Cyprus début in June 2008 with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded with the Athens Camerata and the Wiener

Kammerochester for ECM and ZAS MUSIC respectively.

Yiorgos Kountouris’ research articles were published in Greek, English and Russian languages in esteemed international musico logical

journals such as the “Moscow Musical Academy”.

PROGRAMME:

Tomaso Antonio Vitali (1663-1745): Chaconne in G minor (ca.1705)

Soloist: Anna Tifu / violin

Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908): Carmen Fantasia, Op.25 (1883)

Soloist: Anna Tifu / violin

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Double Concerto in D minor (1823)

Soloists: Christel Lee / violin & Ashley Wass / piano

CLOSING ORCHESTRAL CONCERT IN THE OPEN-AIR WITH SOLOISTS ANNA TIFU (VIOLIN),

CHRISTEL LEE (VIOLIN), ASHLEY WASS (PIANO) JOINING FORCES WITH THE CYPRUS YOUTH

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA UNDER THE DIRECTION OF YIORGOS KOUNTOURIS

Thursday 6 June 2019 @ The Olive Grove, Delikipos