By Heidi Trautmann

A most thoughtfully compiled music programme for Mezzo Soprano Katie Economidou; flutist Eran Raman and Fikri Toros on the piano; music that fully supported the wide range of their musical talent. Katie’s rich and warm voice is perfectly suited for the geometric patterns of chamber and church music, this was my impression when I sat among the audience with my eyes on the beautiful patchwork carpet on the wall of the church, completely absorbed and carried away.

George Ward, Church Warden for Choir Music, opened the evening by welcoming the guests and explaining the course of the evening, the granted 20 minutes of intermission for wine and chats for the 120 guests.

The church hall was fully packed with music lovers and not only the usual Sunday church goers, but also Greek and Turkish Cypriots from all over the island and other nationalities…. I recognized Russian, Norwegian and German friends, and while we were waiting for the concert to start people exclaimed their joy to see each other like in a sort of family reunion.

The concert was opened by Fikri Toros with Bach whose music will open the hardest of hearts. In the first part of the concert we had pieces by composers of the 16^th to the 19^th century, Barock music and opera,  and after the interval also composers of the 20^th Century, for example McDowall and Piazzola, known as Tango music composer.  I observed the audience going along with the music, moving to it, obviously touched by the recital of the musicians, and they became very animated with the Csardas by Monti, wonderfully played by flutist Eran Raman.

The final piece was the Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod sung by Katie Economidou which holds very dear memories for me.

An intimate concert, warm and like a precious gem.

Katie Economidou said at the end of the concert that one of her dream was to once sing in Kyrenia and she was happy to see it fulfilled. Her other dream is to teach children from across the entire island, talented kids whose parents cannot afford the expensive music education, which is a very nice present for the 100^th anniversary of the church, the promise to support the future of talented Cypriot children.

I drove home with a warm feeling in my breast and a mélange of Barock music in my ears.

Programme

Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Albinoni: Adagio in G
Bach: Siciliano
Caccini: Tu ch'ai le penne
Haendel: Rinaldo
Bizet: Romance
Franck: Panis Angelicus
Massenet: Elegie

INTERVAL

Bach: Tocatta in D minor
Mc Dowall: Waltz
Durante: Virgin Tutto Amor
Piazzolla: Oblivion
Stradella: Pieta Signore
Monti: Csardas
Bach-Gounod: Ave Maria

Biography Katie Economidou

She studied classical singing at the Ethnicon Odeon of Cyprus with Lella Symeonidou, and in London with Jane Hill. She continued her studies with Avra Shati and in 2001 she was awarded the Certificate of Voice Performance by the Guildhall School of Music and Drama of London (with Merit) 2001, and in 2003 she earned the Diploma in Recital Performance (with Merit) from the same School. She studied and worked with Sona Gargaloyan and Zara Barkhoutarian. She gave performances of Italian arias and songs, German Lied, Sacred and Religious Music, Contemporary and Greek Music. She sang at the first bicommunal recital in Cyprus in 1995 for the 50^th anniversary of the UN. With her initiative, the Bicommunal Choir was founded in 1996. She participated in concerts in Cyprus and abroad (London, Germany, Greece). She recorded for the CyBC and appeared on radio and television.

With a scholarship from the USAID she studied Political Science and Philosophy at the American University of Beirut from where she graduated with a BA in 1981.

In 1992-1993 with a Fulbright grant, she studied Conflict Management and Human Resource Development in the USA. In 1999, with a scholarship by the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, she read at the London Center for International Relations (University of Kent) from where she graduated with a MA in International Conflict Analysis (with Merit). She taught Conflict Resolution and Mediation in Cyprus and abroad.

Besides Greek and English, she speaks Italian and French and has basic knowledge of German and Turkish.

She is a Tourist Guide and has been working for the Cyprus Tourism Organization since 1982.

She is married and has two daughters

Biography Erman Raman

Born in Gönyeli, Cyprus, Eran Raman entered Ankara State Conservatory in 1982 and began his flute studies with Saki Şarıl and Şefika Kutluer, later continuing with Günay Yetiz. Mr. Raman has performed in many chamber music concerts, as soloist and first flutist in the Ankara State Conservatory Orchestra and the Başkent Chamber Orchestra in Ankara. Eran Raman studied with Istvan Barth during his participation at the 19th International Chamber Music and Orchestra Course in Pécs, Hungary in 1987. There, his performance was rated as ‘excellent’ by critics. Upon completing his chamber music studies with French specialist Alain Boeglin, Eran Raman graduated from the master flute class of Ankara State Conservatory in 1989 as a student of Zita Zempleni.

Mr. Raman has been a flute, chamber music and theory instructor at the Fine Arts School in Lefkoşa, North Cyprus and is presently a member of the TRNC Symphony Orchestra as well as flute instructor of the Music Department at Eastern Mediterranean University. He is also a regular performer of the TRNC National Bayrak Television and is working on the composition of computer music. Eran Raman is a founding member of MUDER (Society of Composers) and has been a member of the Art and Culture Advisory Council of the TRNC Ministry of Education and Culture.

In May, 1997, he gave concerts with the Bavaria Youth Symphony Orchestra in North Cyprus. He performs regularly in North Cyprus and abroad and has given concerts in France, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Italy; and also has given recitals in the United States, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Macedonia and Turkey.

Biography Fikri Toros

Fikri Toros was born in Nicosia. After having completed his School and University education in the UK, Toros returned to North Cyprus in 1984, and became the Director of the Toros Group of Companies. He began his piano training with Yıldan Birand in 1997, continued and developed his training with Yılmaz Taner, and  Maka Borchashvili. He is the Chairman and a member of the Kyrenia Chamber Choir. Since the year 2000, he has accompanied a number of vocalists and violinists at various chamber concerts. Toros has taken part at the “Helpings Hands” charity recitals between 2006 and 2010, in aid of the “Help Those With Cancer Association”, “Pro-Cancer Research Fund” and “Children’s Welfare Association”. In 2011 he played for “Kyrenia Animal Rescue” together with Demet Alkan James. Furthermore, Toros is the pianist of the “Cypress Classica” folk ensemble. In April 2009,he performed at St.John’s Smith Square in London, in aid of the Pro-Cancer Research Fund.  In July and November 2009, Toros attended masterclass sessions in the UK with the Polish Pianist Alicja Fiderkiewicz ; and in August 2010 at Chetham’s Music School where he also performed recitals too.