Press Release

9th INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

6 – 13 October 2017

The Shoe Factory, Nicosia

OVERVIEW OF THE 9th INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL:

The 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival is focused on the evolution of traditional music into what we now identify as ‘new music’. Entitled “EAST music WEST” and organised between 6 and 13 October 2017 at The Shoe Factory in Nicosia, the Festival aims to stand as the meeting point of traditions from east to west, from the past to the present: a crossway in which instruments from various cultures mingle with their western descendants, a hybrid platform where the joint but also the contrasting music elements from various traditions around the globe are exposed, and a unique sonic experience where oral and improvisational practices are combined with modern notation and compositional techniques. The Festival will present four distinct concerts, while a number of other corresponding activities, such as lectures, workshops and educational activities, will take place throughout the week. The first concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Friday 6 October 2017, will travel us to the Far East and the transcendental sounds of the Chinese Sheng and the Japanese Shō. The Sheng is one of the oldest wind instruments in the world, with a history over 3.000 years. Consisting of several bamboo pipes set in a small windchest, the Sheng has played a significant role in the development of Western musical instruments, including the accordion and the harmonica, as well in the East, where many similar instruments were born out of it. One of these instruments is Sheng’s smaller sibling, the Japanese Shō, which has a very distinct sound, said to be imitating the call of a phoenix, and which has been the source of inspiration for a number of contemporary composers. The Festival is proud to welcome for the first time in Cyprus the world famous Sheng player Wu Wei, who will join forces with the brilliant Shō player Naomi Sato. Having appeared as a soloist with many leading orchestras around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Kent Nagano and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, Wu Wei has helped to develop the Sheng into an innovative force in contemporary music, by creating new techniques, expanding the new repertoire and integrating different styles and genres. Naomi Sato studied the Shō at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and continued her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She has appeared as a soloist with a number of orchestras and ensembles including Orchestre de L’ Académie Européenne de Musique with Pierre Boulez, Ensemble Labyrint, Ives Ensemble, Ictus Ensemble and Diotima Quartet. The second concert of the Festival, on Sunday 8 October 2017, will be an exciting percussion experience by Shawn Mativetsky – one of the most dynamic performers of Tabla in the world and a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Mativetsky is described by the media as “an exceptional soloist” and “as a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai”. His instrument, the Tabla, is regarded as the queen of the percussion instruments and it has a very distinct sound that makes it an integral part of Indian music. Originally associated with the Indian classical dance Kathak as well as the dance traditions of the Tawaifs (sophisticated courtesans during the Mughal rule in the mid-18th century), the Tabla (consisting of two drums, the Bayan and the Dayan) is now used in a variety of genres and styles of Hindustani music. In Northern India, the Tabla is a ubiquitous instrument which accompanies Hindu religious songs (Bhajan), Sikh linguistic performances (Shabad), the ritual music of the Sufis (Qawwali) and Arabic sonnets (Ghazals). Its sophistication and charm has attracted the attention of scholars, musicians and music lovers around the globe. The popularity of the Tabla as a solo instrument continually grows as time goes on, as the instrument can hold its melodic own for hours and yet not sound boring. It is a much sought after instrument in cross-cultural and fusion musical experiments, and apart from classical music, the Tabla has made its mark on devotional, theatre and film music. The third concert of the Festival, on Wednesday 11 October 2017, will host for the first time in Cyprus the outstanding Ensemble C Barré which will join forces with soprano Sarah Maria Sun, under the direction of Sebastian Boin. Associated with the National Centre for Musical Creation of Marseille and having appeared in such venues and festivals as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, Festival Les Musiques and Festival de Chaillol, C Barré is an ensemble of unique personality, quite distinct from today’s musical landscape. The makeup of the Ensemble is unrivalled (clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, percussion, accordion, mandolin, guitar, harp, cimbalom, keyboards, cello and double-bass) and is enriched by the dynamism and thirst for experimentation of its musicians. Furthermore, the Ensemble regularly takes on other instruments – as in the case of their concert in Nicosia, which will also include instruments such as bouzouki, the Armenian Duduk and zithers. The concert will feature works by Iannis Xenakis, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten, Alexandros Markeas, and world premieres by Mikel Urquiza, François Rossé and George Christofi. On Friday 13 October 2017, the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival will end its journey through the various world music traditions, in an eastern Mediterranean flair with the Lingua Franca Ensemble. The Ensemble, comprising Michalis Cholevas (Yayli Tanbur, Tarhu, Ney), Giannis Koutis (Oud, Guitar), Michalis Kouloumis (Violin) and percussionist Ruven Ruppik (Riq, Darbuka, Frame Drums, Marimba) – all graduates of the Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, circumnavigates on a musical wandering during which the rich eastern Mediterranean traditions and western music elements blend and compose colourful soundscapes. Always abiding by the character of the modal music cultures, Lingua Franca will present a unique programme, which will also include world premieres by composers Vasilis Filippou and Andreas Tsiartas.

CONCERT SCHEDULE:

● Fri 6 Oct 2017: CONCERT with Wu Wei (Sheng) and Naomi Sato (Shō) Exploring the sounds of the Far East

● Sun 8 Oct 2017: CONCERT with Shawn Mativetsky (Tabla) Tabla – The King of Percussion Instruments

● Wed 11 Oct 2017: CONCERT with Ensemble C Barré under the direction of Sebastian Boin Western Composers Reflecting Eastern Music

● Fri 13 Oct 2017: CONCERT with the Lingua Franca Ensemble

Soundscapes of the eastern Mediterranean *** All concerts will take place at The Shoe Factory and they start at 20:30. Contact the Pharos Arts Foundation for the schedule of the Educational Activities and Lectures which will take place during the week.

INFORMATION & TICKETS: Information: Pharos Arts Foundation Tel. +35722663871 / www.pharosartsfoundation.org Tickets: €15 / €10 Concessions & members of the Pharos Arts Foundation Box Office: www.pharosartsfoundation.org & Tel. 9666-9003 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm)

HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL:

The first Festival of its kind to be organised in Cyprus (in 2009), the INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL has established itself as one of the most innovative and cutting-edge annual music events in the Eastern Mediterranean. Under the artistic direction of the internationally renowned Cypriot composer, Evis Sammoutis, the Festival is dedicated to the promotion of new music: The well-established masterpieces of the contemporary music literature of the 20th century as well as new works by the younger generation of composers. The Festival has so far presented hundreds of Cyprus premieres as well as a great number of world premieres by composers who have been especially commissioned by the Foundation to write new pieces for the occasion. Providing a platform for composers and performers to advance and develop new projects and explore new sound worlds in chamber music settings, the Festival aspires to acquaint the general audience of Cyprus with the music of our times as this is directly linked with many forms of visual and creative arts, and sciences, and it reflects the profundity of the modern-day man and human spirit.

FRIDAY 6 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

THE SHOE FACTORY, NICOSIA

CONCERT WITH WU WEI (SHENG) AND NAOMI SATO (SHŌ)

Exploring the sounds of the Far East

The first concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Friday 6 October 2017, will travel us to the Far East and the transcendental sounds of the Chinese Sheng and the Japanese Shō. The Sheng is one of the oldest wind instruments in the world, with a history over 3.000 years. Consisting of several bamboo pipes set in a small windchest, the Sheng has played a significant role in the development of Western musical instruments, including the accordion and the harmonica, as well in the East, where many similar instruments were born out of it. One of these instruments is Sheng’s smaller sibling, the Japanese Shō, which has a very distinct sound, said to be imitating the call of a phoenix, and which has been the source of inspiration for a number of contemporary composers. The Festival is proud to welcome for the first time in Cyprus the world famous Sheng player Wu Wei, who will join forces with the brilliant Shō player Naomi Sato. Having appeared as a soloist with many leading orchestras around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Kent Nagano and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, Wu Wei has helped to develop the Sheng into an innovative force in contemporary music, by creating new techniques, expanding the new repertoire and integrating different styles and genres. Naomi Sato studied the Shō at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and continued her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She has appeared as a soloist with a number of orchestras and ensembles including Orchestre de L’ Académie Européenne de Musique with Pierre Boulez, Ensemble Labyrint, Ives Ensemble, Ictus Ensemble and Diotima Quartet. WU WEI (Sheng) Wu Wei is internationally renowned as an avant-garde Sheng soloist. He has helped to develop Sheng – an ancient Chinese instrument with over 4.000 years of history – into an innovative force in contemporary music, by creating new techniques, expanding the new repertoire and integrating different styles and genres. He studied the Sheng at the Shanghai Conservatory and was a soloist with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra before studying at the Hanns Eisler Academy with a DAAD scholarship in Berlin, where he is now based. Since 1996, Wu Wei has appeared as a soloist with many leading orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Kent Nagano, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under Gustavo Dudamel, the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Ilan Volkov, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra under Myung-Whun Chun, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under Kazuyoshi Akiyama, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Albany Symphony Orchestra New York, the Belgium Symphony Orchestra Valaanderen, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, Atlas Ensemble, amongst others. Wu Wei has performed in renowned festivals such as the Berliner Festspiele, the Munich Bienale, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Warsaw Autumn, the Suntory Music Festival in Tokyo, the Bartók Festival in Hungary, the Cologne Triennal, the Holland Festival, Festival les Musiques in Marseille. He has appeared in venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, the Walt Disney Hall Los Angeles, Suntory Hall Tokyo, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the User Hall Edinburgh, and the Théatre du Chatelet Paris. Prize winner in a number of international competitions, including the Musica Vitale Competition in Germany, the Global Root World Music Prize and the Herald Angels Award by the Edinburgh International Festival for Composition, Wu Wei has given the world premieres of more than 150 works (including ten concertos for Sheng and Orchestra), by composers including John Cage, Unsuk Chin, Toshio Hosokawa, Enjott Schneider, Joerg Widmann, Guus Janssen, Tan Dun, Chen Qigang, Guo Weijing and Ruo Huang. NAOMI SATO (Shō) Naomi Sato studied the saxophone at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. She continued her studies in saxophone and composition at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She studied the Shō (traditional Japanese instrument) with Ko Ishikawa at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Naomi Sato has performed, amongst others, with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts

and Music, Orchestre de L’ Académie Européenne de Musique with Pierre Boulez, Ensemble Lucilin (Luxembourg), and in Netherlands, with Het Residentie Orkest, Axyz Ensemble and Ensemble Labyrint. As a Shō player, she has collaborated with a number of composers and she has appeared with the Ives Ensemble, Ictus Ensemble, Aurelia Saxophone Quartet, Nieuw Ensemble, Diotima Quartet, Ensemble Resonance, Shonoritie Ensemble, Fontana Mix Ensemble, Xenia Ensemble, Ensemble PHACE, B'Rock, Prague Modern, New Music Network Philadelphia, N-JP project in the US and the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra. Naomi is a Shō player in Atlas Ensemble in Amsterdam, giving workshops in the Atlas Academy.

SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

THE SHOE FACTORY, NICOSIA

CONCERT WITH SHAWN MATIVETSKY (TABLA)

Tabla – The King of Percussion Instruments The second concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Sunday 8 October 2017, will be an exciting percussion experience by Shawn Mativetsky – one of the most dynamic performers of Tabla in the world and a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Mativetsky is described by the media as “an exceptional soloist” and “as a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai”. His instrument, the Tabla, is regarded as the king of the percussion instruments and it has a very distinct sound that makes it an integral part of Indian music. Originally associated with the Indian classical dance Kathak as well as the dance traditions of the Tawaifs (sophisticated courtesans during the Mughal rule in the mid-18th century), the Tabla (consisting of two drums, the Bayan and the Dayan) is now used in a variety of genres and styles of Hindustani music. In Northern India, the Tabla is a ubiquitous instrument which accompanies Hindu religious songs (Bhajan), Sikh linguistic performances (Shabad), the ritual music of the Sufis (Qawwali) and Arabic sonnets (Ghazals). Its sophistication and charm has attracted the attention of scholars, musicians and music lovers around the globe. The popularity of the Tabla as a solo instrument continually grows as time goes on, as the instrument can hold its melodic own for hours and yet not sound boring. It is a much sought after instrument in cross-cultural and fusion musical experiments, and apart from classical music, the Tabla has made its mark on devotional, theatre and film music. For his recital in Cyprus, Mativetsky will perform traditional music as well as contemporary music written for the Tabla. SHAWN MATIVETSKY (Tabla) One of the most dynamic performers of his generation, Shawn Mativetsky is a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music and he is considered one of the leading ambassadors of the Tabla. Described by the media as “an exceptional soloist” and “as a leading disciple of the renowned [Pandit] Sharda Sahai”, Shawn Mativetsky is highly sought-after both as a performer and an educator, and is active in the promotion of the Tabla and North Indian classical music through lectures, workshops, and performances all over the world. Shawn Mativetsky regularly gives solo Tabla performances, as well as accompanying kathak dance, voice, bansuri, sarod, santur, sarangi, and sitar artists. He has performed numerous solo recitals all over the world and has been featured in series such as the Windsor Canadian Music Festival, Pontio / Music @ Bangor, New Music in New Spaces, Festival Montréal Baroque, New Works Calgary, Music Toronto, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. As an ensemble musician, Shawn Mativetsky performs regularly with violinist Parmela Attariwala's cross-cultural Attar Project, Indo-fusion group Ragleela, Indian-folk group Galitcha, and the improvisation trio Of Sound, Mind and Body, with Tim Brady and Helmut Lipsky. In recent years, he has been working closely with santur player Jonathan Voyer, sitarist Uwe Neumann, and kathak dancer Sudeshna Maulik. Based in Montreal, Shawn Mativetsky teaches Tabla and percussion at the McGill University. Since 2003, he has been affiliated with the Pandit Ram Sahai Foundation (UK/India), and he hosted Tabla maestro Pandit Sharda in Sahai's annual summer Tabla workshop. Since 2011, Shawn has been hosting his own annual summer Tabla workshop at the McGill University.

WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

THE SHOE FACTORY, NICOSIA

CONCERT WITH ENSEMBLE C BARRÉ UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SEBASTIAN BOIN

Western Composers Reflecting Eastern Music

The third concert of the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival, on Wednesday 11 October 2017, will host for the first time in Cyprus the outstanding Ensemble C Barré which will join forces with soprano Sarah Maria Sun, under the direction of Sebastian Boin. Associated with the National Centre for Musical Creation of Marseille and having appeared in such venues and festivals as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, Festival Les Musiques and Festival de Chaillol, C Barré is an ensemble of unique personality, quite distinct from today’s musical landscape. The makeup of the Ensemble is unrivalled (clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, percussion, accordion, mandolin, guitar, harp, cimbalom, keyboards, cello and double-bass) and is enriched by the dynamism and thirst for experimentation of its musicians. Furthermore, the Ensemble regularly takes on other instruments – as in the case of their concert in Nicosia, which will also include instruments such as bouzouki, the Armenian Duduk and zithers. The concert will feature works by Iannis Xenakis, Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin Britten, Alexandros Markeas, and world premieres by Mikel Urquiza, François Rossé and George Christofi. PROGRAMME:

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) Nyuyo (1985) for saxophone soprano, bouzouki, guitar & cimbalom Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Three Japanese Lyrics [Akahito, Mazatsumi, Tsaraiuki] (1912-13) arr. for soprano, guitar & cimbalom Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) Songs from the Chinese (1957) for high voice & guitar Alexandros Markeas (b.1965) Taximi (1995) for bouzouki & electronics Mikel Urquiza (b.1988) World Premiere for soprano, saxophone, accordion & percussions George Christofi (b.1982) World premiere for duduk, accordion, percussions, bouzouki, zither & cimbalom François Rossé (b.1945) World premiere for duduk, accordion, percussions, bouzouki, zither & cimbalom

ENSEMBLE C BARRÉ

C Barré is an instrumental ensemble founded and directed by Sebastian Boin, and it is the result of an encounter between 12 ingenious musicians. This exceptional ensemble, currently associated with GMEM-CNCM-Marseille (the National Centre for Musical Creation of Marseille) is made up of prolific, enthusiastic personalities who have profoundly invested in the creation and the dissemination of the contemporary repertoire. Since 2012, the Ensemble C Barré has been the travelling companion to the Festival de Chaillol. C Barré is an ensemble of unique personality, quite distinct from today’s musical landscape. The makeup of the Ensemble is unrivalled (clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, percussion, accordion, mandolin, guitar, harp, cimbalom, keyboards, cello and double-bass) and is enriched by the dynamism and thirst for experimentation of its musicians. Furthermore, the Ensemble regularly takes on other instruments (chromatic zithers or third-tone zithers, the bouzouki, the electric guitar, baroque instruments, traditional instruments or new instruments invented for the occasion).

Given its very specific nature, C Barré dedicates much of its time to music creation. This is often seen in the form of isolated commissions, but also as long term collaborations with a number of composers. These relationships allow for a deep understanding of aspects of the creative process, most notably those concerned with form and genre (ensemble music, chamber operas, concertos, chamber music, solos); integrating other musical means (electroacoustic, improvisation, chip music); and the frequent participation of other art forms such as dance, literature, poetry, video and sculpture. In the last few years, Ensemble C Barré has performed at the Philharmonie de Paris, Festival of Île de France, Radio France, Festival of Marseille, Festival Les Musiques, the Grand Théâtre de Provence, amongst others. Animated by a desire to bring contemporary music to a larger audience, the Ensemble also undertakes, with great enthusiasm, a number of educational programmes. SARAH MARIA SUN (soprano) Sarah Maria Sun is one of the foremost leading interpreters in contemporary music. She began her training in the Bel Canto style and eventually shifted to contemporary music, appearing under the baton of conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Kent Nagano, Peter Rundel, Thomas Hengelbrock, Susanna Mälkki, Heinz Holliger and Christoph Spering, with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Philharmonic Orchestra Dresden, WDR-, SWR- and BR- and Tokyo-Symphony Orchestra. She appears regularly with ensembles such as musikFabrik Köln, Ensemble Modern, Mosaik or Intercontemporain and string quartets such as Diotima, Arditti, Signum and Minguet. Sarah Maria Sun has appeared at prestigious opera houses, including Berlin, Zurich, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Basel, Dresden and Paris. Between 2007 and 2014 she has been the first soprano of the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart. Besides Lied, Opera and Oratorio her repertoire includes more than 700 works from the 20th and 21st centuries.

FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2017 / 8:30PM

THE SHOE FACTORY, NICOSIA

CONCERT WITH THE LINGUA FRANCA ENSEMBLE

Soundscapes of the eastern Mediterranean traditions On Friday 13 October 2017, the 9th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival will end its journey through the various world music traditions, in an eastern Mediterranean flair with the Lingua Franca Ensemble. The Ensemble, comprising Michalis Cholevas (Yayli Tanbur, Tarhu, Ney), Giannis Koutis (Oud, Guitar), Michalis Kouloumis (Violin) and percussionist Ruven Ruppik (Riq, Darbuka, Frame Drums, Marimba) – all graduates of the Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, circumnavigates on a musical wandering during which the rich eastern Mediterranean traditions and western music elements blend and compose colourful soundscapes. Always abiding by the character of the modal music cultures, Lingua Franca will present a unique programme, which will also include world premieres by composers Vasilis Filippou and Andreas Tsiartas. LINGUA FRANCA ENSEMBLE Michalis Cholevas (Yayli Tanbur, Tarhu, Ney) Giannis Koutis (Oud, Guitar, Voice) Michalis Kouloumis (Violin) Ruven Ruppik (Riq, Darbuka, Frame Drums, Marimba) “Lingua Franca Ensemble delivers what their name suggests: bridging musical domains from around the eastern part of the Mediterranean. With seemingly simple means, stunningly beautiful soundscapes are created.” Ton Maas (Mixed World Music) Lingua Franca circumnavigates on a musical wandering. A journey during which the rich eastern Mediterranean traditions and western music elements blend and compose colourful soundscapes using music as their common language. The Ensemble creates and performs music with respect to the character of the modal music cultures. Being free from the need to create expressive exaggerations, the Lingua Franca Ensemble leads the audience on an emotional journey, offering euphoria. All the members of the Lingua Franca Ensemble are graduates of the Codarts University of the Arts, Rotterdam. In 2015 Lingua Franca Ensemble was selected among several ensembles from all corners of the world, to participate in the Sharq Taronalari festival/contest held in Uzbekistan, representing Cyprus, Greece and Germany. The committee of the competition awarded Lingua Franca Ensemble with the Soul of Devotees Special Award. The Lingua Franca Ensemble is actively involved in music education. Both as an ensemble and as individuals, its members give workshops and seminars on their field of expertise. Furthermore, Michalis Cholevas and Michalis Kouloumis are regular teachers of the World Music Department of the Codarts University, having as main subject Modal Music of the Eastern Mediterranean cultures.

9TH INTERNATIONAL PHAROS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

6 – 13 October 2017

The Shoe Factory, Nicosia

INFORMATION & TICKETS:

Information: Pharos Arts Foundation Tel. +35722663871 / www.pharosartsfoundation.org Tickets: €15 / €10 Concessions & members of the Pharos Arts Foundation Box Office: www.pharosartsfoundation.org & Tel. 9666-9003 (Monday - Friday 10:00am-3:00pm)

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