“United by Music”

By Heidi Trautmann

United by Music –  this is the motto under which the Cyprus Chamber Orchestra has been founded; the idea to it was developed by the Cypriot musicians Natalie Neophytou and Nihat Ağdac, both having studied together in London at the Royal Academy of Music. …. Please read more about the foundation and development in the attached text and on their website. They have been performing around the island and abroad promoting peace in Cyprus through the power of music.

http://www.cychamber.com/about.html

From the very beginning since the opening of the gates it is thanks to artists such as these two musicians that efforts have successfully been undertaken to approach each other without prejudices, to work together and to show to their people how beautifully it can work.

The Pallas Theatre near the Paphos Gate was sold out to the last seat and music lovers had come from both sides of the dividing line to attend the Christmas Concert. The event was sponsored by the German Embassy.

The programme promised a pure musical delight with Mozart and Haydn, see the details on the programme attached, with two soloists from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Marlene Ito Violin and Martin von der Nahmer, Viola, in the first part of the evening.

Both symphonies were composed in the 1770s;  it was nice to read some profound information on the programme, especially on the Farewell Symphony by J. Haydn giving us the anecdote going with it.

It was a most pleasurable evening bringing the audience into the mood of the season and the end of the year which is always a very sensitive time making us think about peace and harmony on the island and worldwide.