22nd International Pharos Chamber Music Festival - 26 May – 2 June 2023

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book your tickets for the most anticipated events in the international music calendar

The International Pharos Chamber Music Festival stands out as one of the most distinguished music events in Europe, renowned for its outstanding performances, fascinating programme and captivating ambiance. With an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence, the Pharos Festival was the pioneering force in bringing chamber music to Cyprus, elevating the island to a prominent place on the global cultural stage. Its exceptional concerts have attracted music lovers from far and wide, who flock to the Festival to bask in its unique and uplifting musical atmosphere. For over two decades, the Festival has hosted a multitude of memorable concerts, featuring many of the world's most celebrated soloists. Furthermore, the Festival has remained true to its roots of community service, by promoting access to chamber music for all and extending invaluable educational opportunities to students from across Cyprus. The Festival is one of the most anticipated events in the international music calendar, and it is held annually in The Royal Manor House of Kouklia, one of the finest surviving monuments of Frankish architecture in Cyprus and a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is transformed into an atmospheric chamber music hall.
  
THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL:
 The 22nd International Pharos Chamber Music Festival, featuring six concerts, on 26, 27, 28, 31 May and 1 & 2 June 2023 at the Royal Manor House in Kouklia, offers a stunning array of chamber music repertoire, performed by 20 of the world's leading and most celebrated artists. Many of these soloists are visiting our island for the very first time, bringing with them a fresh and unique perspective on each concert, that will leave audiences mesmerized.
 
Among the distinguished guest artists are two piano virtuosos who will leave the audience feeling enchanted: the magnificent Alexander Kobrin, making his Cyprus debut, whose exceptional skills have placed him at the forefront of the performing musicians of our times, and earned him the First Prize in such prestigious piano competitions as the Van Cliburn, the Busoni, and the Hamamatsu, and François-Frédéric Guy, making a triumphant return after eight years, whose mesmerizing interpretations have earned him international acclaim as a soloist and an orchestral conductor from the piano.
 
The Festival will also proudly present two exceptional violinists for the first time: the impressive Andrey Baranov, winner of over twenty international competitions including the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition, whose electrifying performances have captivated audiences around the globe, and Elly Suh, one of today's foremost Paganini interpreters, whose spellbinding artistry, creative vision, and interpretative originality bring fresh life to concert stages everywhere. The Festival will also welcome back the spectacular first concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Daishin Kashimoto.
 
The International Pharos Chamber Music Festival will have the honour to host once again the legendary cellist Mischa Maisky, whose exceptional playing has been hailed by none other than Mstislav Rostropovich himself, who aptly described it as "a combination of poetry and exquisite delicacy with great temperament and brilliant technique". Joining Maisky will be his incredibly talented daughter, Lily Maisky, who is widely regarded as one of the most versatile and charismatic young pianists of our time. But that's not all – the Festival is thrilled to welcome back two outstanding cellists who will grace our stage with their performances: Boris Andrianov, a prize-winner in some of the world's most prestigious competitions such as the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Shostakovich Classica Nova Competition in Hannover, and Jing Zhao, celebrated for her deep musicality and virtuosity, and First Prize-Winner of the prestigious ARD International Competition. Along with them, the astounding double-bassist Uxía Martínez Botana – described as one of the world’s top 10 bass players, and recognised internationally for her great intensity and exceptional technique.
 
The Pharos Festival is delighted to present four exceptionally gifted ladies who will make their debut on the stage this year, showcasing their rare talents to the wonderful audience: the charismatic young flutist Ana Ferraz, the principal oboist of the legendary Dresden Staatskaopelle Orchestra and one of the leading oboists in the world Celine Moinet, and the brilliant clarinettist Clara Riccucci, whose debut as a soloist with the Lucerne Orchestra under the baton of Michael Sanderling marked the beginning of a thrilling and multi-dimensional career. They will be joined by one of the world’s most exciting marimbists, Ria Ideta, whose supreme mastery of the marimba promise to transport audiences to new heights of musical ecstasy.
 
This year’s Festival will also be supported by two new violists: Daniel Weissmann – the famous director of the Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the most praised musicians on the international scene; and Samuel Barsegian – the chief conductor and artistic director of the Lisbon Chamber Orchestra. As always, as the Festival will welcome the exceptional soloists who form the core, and the backbone, of the event each year: the unparalleled violinist Boris Brovtsyn and cellist Alexander Chaushian, as well as violists Diemut Poppen and David Abrahamyan.
 
With this extraordinary line-up of world-class musicians, the 22nd International Pharos Chamber Music Festival promises to be an unforgettable experience that will leave a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of all those who attend.
 
THE ARTISTS:
Piano: Alexander Kobrin, François-Frédéric Guy, Lily Maisky
Violin: Andrey Baranov, Daishin Kashimoto, Elly Suh, Boris Brovtsyn
Viola: Daniel Weissmann, Diemut Poppen, David Abrahamyan, Samuel Barsegian
Cello: Misha Maisky, Boris Andrianov, Jing Zhao, Alexander Chaushian
Double-Bass: Uxía Martínez Botana
Flute: Ana Ferraz
Oboe: Céline Moinet
Clarinet: Clara Riccucci
Marimba: Ria Ideta
 
 WHAT, WHEN & WHERE:
26, 27, 28, 31 May and 1 & 2 June 2023 @ Royal Manor House, Kouklia: Six concerts with 20 of the world's leading and most celebrated artists in a stunning array of chamber music repertoire.
**Concerts start at 8.30pm
 
 THE VENUE:
The Royal Manor House, Kouklia is one of the finest surviving monuments of Frankish architecture in Cyprus. 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. 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. The Royal Manor House is a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the International Pharos Chamber Music Festival, the Royal Manor House is transformed into an intimate chamber music hall for an unparalleled series of concerts. 
 
INFORMATION & TICKETS:
Information & Box Office: Pharos Arts Foundation www.pharosartsfoundation.org & Tel. 22-663871 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-2:00pm)  
Tickets: €20 / €15 (Concessions, Members of the Pharos Arts Foundation)
Offer: Buy tickets for all six concerts at the price of five!