Alliance Française de Limassol in collaboration with Limassol Municipality, the Rialto Theatre, the Embassy of France in Cyprus, the Institut Français de Chypre in Nicosia and Kanali 6 organize the World Music Day, which was established for the first time in 1982 at the initiative of the then Ministry of Culture, Jack Lang, and is celebrated across Europe.
Featuring world-renowned singer Vakia Stavrou in a multicultural repertoire from across the globe, accompanied by acclaimed pianist Manolis Neofytou.
Vakia Stavrou, originally from Cyprus, is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter, based in Paris, France. After finishing her music studies at the Prague Conservatory, she pursued a career in the music industry and has made an important debut after being signed by SONY Music in Athens, Greece. Her own composition “SOZINHA” which she recorded in Portuguese, has rapidly become a major hit in Greece soon after the release of her first album and not long after, in many countries in Europe and Latin America. Her ability of writing and performing in many languages in such a perfection, is one of her strongest assets.
Vakia has already toured in many countries, presenting her work in various important music festivals and in various music halls and theatres such as: Festival Au Fil des Voix –PARIS, Mawazine Festival Rythms of the World – CASABLANCA, Klangvokal World Music Festival – DORTMUND, Barnasants Songwriters’s Festival, BARCELONA , Teatro Sao Luiz – LISBON, New Opera Theater – MOSCOW, Gasteig – MUNICH. She was also invited from the United Nations to perform in Geneva, Switzerland in 2016 in a prestigious gala concert in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilization’s Chamber, accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of Morocco.
Her latest album “ALASIA” (2017) produced by the French Label “Accords Croises”, features her identity as a songwriter with her own compositions , written in three languages. The well known Portuguese writer and poet, Jose Luis PEIXOTO has contributed in this album by writing especially for Vakia, two poems that successfully, she turned into songs.
Vakia was described by the International Press as “a breathtaking voice that moves the audiences at once” or even “a highly sophisticated and enchanting artist, that makes one hear the vast beauty of her voice” [ Bertrand Dicale , France Culture ] Her ongoing projects include an upcoming recording of her new album in Paris and concerts all over Europe.
Manolis Neophytou performed his first solo recital at the age of eleven, just before he entered the Moscow’s Central Special State Music School of the ex-Soviet Union. During the period 1996-2002 he studied at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, with scholarship from Nicolas Economou Foundation. He also studied in Ecole Normale in Paris with a scholarship from the Albert Roussel Foundation. In 2004, he has obtained the Masters in Piano Performance from the University of London with scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece.
Manolis represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Classical Contests in Brussels (1992), Warsaw (1994) and Lisbon (1996), after winning the Cyprus National Competitions. He received several prizes in international piano competitions: 4th Prize at Senigallia International Piano Competition (Italy, 1994), 1st Prize at the Inter-Mediterranean Music Festival (Palermo, Italy, 1995), and 2nd Prize at the Thimis Piano Competition (Megaron Mousikis, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2002).
His performance activities include solo recitals and concerts in many countries. He performed, as a soloist, with many orchestras, as the State Orchestra of Cyprus, the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, the Symphonic State Orchestra of Rostov (Russia) and other. He taught in master classes in Cyprus and at the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Homage to Greek Music is the title of his first CD, which received a very good review from Mikis Theodorakis. He has also written music for the documentary film by Alessia de Ninno, which awarted at the National Film Theatre of London. He is teaching piano in Arte Academy of Music, European University of Cyprus and in the state music school in Limassol.
Free entrance / Tickets must be booked in advance
Duration: 70’
Rialto Theatre, Monday 21 June 2021 at 20:30
Rialto Box Office : 77 77 77 45
www.rialto.com.cy, Rialto App
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