In the world’s neighborhoods

A unique and different concert, entitled  ‘In the world’s neighborhoods’ with two special musicians, Vakia Stavrou on voice and Manolis Neophytou on piano and arrangements, at Markideio Theatre, Thursday, 17th of December 2020, at 20:30.

The two renowned Cypriot musicians will present an international repertoire and will take us to a music trip through Greece by Manos Hadjidakis and Takis Morakis, France by Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf, to Argentina by Astor Piazzola and Carlos Gardel. Enjoy and sing familiar melodies and songs that have been loved and sung by million of people around the world, that have endured over time and that we have associated with special moments of our lives.

The outstanding singer and songwriter Vakia Stavrou, based in Paris, is internationally recognized and has been described by the International Press as a “Voice without Borders” (Die Welt) and “a highly sophisticated and enchanting artist, that makes one hear the vast beauty of her voice” (Bertrand Dicale, France Culture). With successful concerts in Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Berlin, Morocco, Munich, Cologne, Moscow, Geneva, she has the ability to create atmospheric, full of emotions music performances, both through her music talent and her charisma to perform in many languages.

On the other hand, the talented pianist Manolis Neophytou, at the age of eleven, was in Moscow to study at the Central State Special Music School, which was preparing the children to be admitted to the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, where he studied with great teachers. Many years followed full of studies, scholarships, prizes in music competitions, concerts and recitals in Europe, Russia, Korea and South Africa, collaborations as a soloist with various orchestras such as Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Rostov Symphony Orchestra of Rostov (Russia), Palermo Chamber Music Orchestra (Italy), Goldsmiths Orchestra of London, Budapest Concert Orchestra.

The production takes all the necessary precautions and follows the instructions announced by the government, in order to ensure your health and safety.

Entrance: €12/ €8 (students)

ONLY with presales. Tickets available at Technopolis 20 art centre. 

A ticket office will NOT OPERATE on the night of the event.

Opening hours: Monday - Saturday, 9am - 1pm

Information: 70002420

Organiser: Technopolis 20

Supporter: Municipality of Paphos

A few words about the musicians

Vakia Stavrou, originally from the Mediterranean Island of 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. To mention a few: 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” in Paris, features her identity as a songwriter with her own compositions, written in three languages. The well-known Portuguese writer and poet, Jose Luis PEIXOTO (Nomitated with the Jose Saramago Award) 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 holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) Degree in Performance from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, where he studied with Prof. Irina Plotnikova and Prof. Arkadii Sevidov, with a scholarship from Nicolas Economou Foundation. He also studied in Ecole Normale in Paris with a scholarship from the Albert Russel Foundation. He has obtained his Masters in Piano Performance from the University of London with a scholarship from the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (I.K.Y.). Manolis represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Classical Contests in Brussels (1992), Warsaw (1994) and Lisbon (1996) after winning the Cyprus National Competitions for young musicians. He has received prizes in several piano competitions: the Fourth Prize at Senegallia International Piano Competition (Italy, 1994), the First Prize at the Inter-Mediterranean Music Festival (Palermo, Italy, 1995) and the Second Prize at the Giorgos Thimis Piano Competition (Megaron Mousikis of Thessaloniki, Greece, 2002). His performance activities include solo recitals and concerts in Greece, Russia, Poland, Italy, France, Ireland, U.K., Korea, South Africa and Cyprus. He is currently teaching piano at the Music Lyceum in Limassol and the European University of Cyprus.