'Nocturna': Hadjidakis, Theodorakis, Alexia, Aurora, Agnes Obel and more

“Now that I live deeply and absolutely with myself, I want to know who I was when I existed, what I was thinking, how I lived and what it is that composes my future absence.” (Manos Hadjidakis)

Into a nocturne portrait perspective, five talented musicians present at Technopolis 20, on Friday 2nd of December, at 20:00, a musical performance: ‘Nocturna’, where the audience is set up to question his existence between light and darkness. The night, as seen in everyone’s space and time of personal thought, is set as the example for the presentation of a repertoire consisting of works from the local and the international music scene. As a result, the repertoire creates an unexpected nostalgic and dreamy mood, but at the same time, it shows the brutal image of reality and many social injustices that remain unlighted.

Works by Hadjidakis, Theodorakis, Alexia, Aurora, Agnes Obel etc. will be heard, as well as examples of traditional idioms from Greece and Cyprus. Enjoy on stage, Maria Voultsopoulou (voice), Kyriakos Costa (piano), Alexandros Komodromos (el. Guitar), Giannis Koudounas (trumpet), Petros Kkallis (percussion).

The orchestrations and arrangements edited by Kyriakos Costa, Alexandros Komodromos and Maria Voultsopoulou.

The concert is under the support of Larnaca Interact Club.

Entrance: €12

Tickets available at Technopolis 20 art centre. Call for working hours.

Information/reservations: 70002420

A few words about the musicians:

Maria Voultsopoulou is a lawyer, graduated from the University of Cyprus, and a singer with a diploma from the ‘Musical Horizons Conservatory’. She has studied piano, theory and harmony, and she is still undergoing voice lessons with Tsveta Christoforou. The last few years, she has collaborated and sung on stage with Alexia Vasiliou, Vasiliki Anastasiou, Tsveta Christoforou, Marios Andreou and Mariza Anastasiades. She is an active member of the Amalgamation Choir, the Improvisation Choir, the Cyprus Opera Organisation, and she is experimenting on vocal improvisation. She has also taken part in projects, such as the ‘Voice Improvisation Series – Voice In space’ and the ‘Moving in Silence’. Maria has sung compositions by Kyriakos Costa.

Kyriakos Costa was born in Larnaca, Cyprus, in 1998. He graduated with First Class Honours from Royal Holloway University of London (BMus Music, MMus Comp). The past few years, Kyriakos is working professionally composing Orchestral and Theatre music. At the same time, he is a session pianist and songwriter. As a member of various philharmonic bands in Cyprus, he participated in concerts of famous Greek singers, such as: Dionisis Savvopoulos, Vassilis Lekkas, Pantelis Thalassinos and Iro Saia. In 2019, Kyriakos participated as a pianist in two (2) voice masterclasses made by Natasa Bofiliou and Themis Karamouratides, in Nicosia, Cyprus. In 2020, he was featured and listed as one of the ‘Young Generation Composers of CoMA Festival, London 2020’, with his piece called: ‘clockwise’. In 2021, he was one of the Composers-in-Residence, under the 5th Picture Gallery Composer-in-Residence Scheme of Royal Holloway University of London, where Kyriakos composed music for the virtual video tours of the Picture Gallery’s library. In the same year, he was the pianist in the music department of Stelios Stylianou’s short film: ‘Garden Latte’, written by Costas Mannouris, which is now in the official selection of the ‘Cannes World Film Festival 2021’. The Autumn 2021, Kyriakos is the co-composer, along with Constantinos Lemesios, of Costas Mannouris’ musical: ‘The Duke’s Radio Show’, performed/directed by Marios Mettis (Hamm Broductions), under the parallel events of Larnaca Biennale Festival 2021. At the same time, orchestral works of his were commissioned by CHROMA Ensemble UK and are now available on all streaming platforms. The past 1 and a half years, Kyriakos is releasing personal songwriting compositions on his YouTube channel, produced by singer/songwriter/producer Constantinos Lemesios.

Giannis Koudounas is an awarded trumpetist, specialised in pop and contemporary music, who is gradually becoming one of the most talented trumpetists and educators both in the UK and Cyprus. The last few years, Giannis collaborates with TrakArt Pops Orchestra in Cypurs, alongside many esteemed artists. Some examples of artists and music ensembles that he collaborated with, both in Cyprus and the UK are: Tim Surfers, Dionisis Savvopoulos, Lavrentis Machairitsas, Kostas Makedonas, Gileno Santana, Alice zawadzki, The Earth Orchestra, BBC Maida VALE and many more. The most recent virtual performances of his consist of a performance of ‘The Chicken’, with the well-known ensemble London Brass, the ‘Fight the Fight’ by Sir, Tim Rice and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, with protagonists for the West End and Broadway Ali Ewoldt and Niger Richards, a Northern Musical Theatre Orchestra Production. While being an undergraduate student at Royal Holloway University of London, Giannis received the Alice Daugherty Chaplin Prize for the excellence performance in Trumpet playing. Also awarded with the University’s Chancellor’s scholarship, Giannis continued his masters at Royal Holloway with specialisation in Trumpet.

Alexandros Komodromos graduated from the University of Nicosia with a Bachelor of Music, specialised in jazz performance. He is professionally teaching music in private music institutions and taking part in concerts and charitable events. During his studies, Alexandros collaborated with multiple well-known musicians in Cyprus and more generally the arts scene, such as Michalis Messios, Mara Constantinou, Lefteris Moumtzis, Christos Yerolatsitis and more. He also participated in various concerts and festivals, such as Fengaros, Fengaros Reacts, and in theatrical plays, such as ‘Female Ink’.

Petros Kkallis is a self-motivated and enthusiastic musician living in Cyprus since 2013. After completing his music performance studies in Athens and Londonhe came back to the island and started working as a teacher in the private and public sector as well as a performer in various bands in the island but also taking part in festivals on the island but also abroad. He is, first of all, a drummerable to perform and respond to various styles of music either contemporary, fusion, pop or rock. As such he holds the backline for bands like THE TEASE – pop-rock band with international repertoire, PAPILLION BAND – pop-dance Greek repertoire, DRUMBOUKI – fusion-ethnic instrumental music, LAS -folk-Cypriot repertoire and also a COMMISION drummer for concerts and tribute shows around the island. He is also multi instrumentalist with experience as a bassistand guitarist. He is the bassist for Armonia Philarmonic and Deryneia Choir for which he performs various shows and styles each year. As a guitarist he is a founding member and guitarist for the folk-rembetika group KOUTSAVAKIA. Petros has also been recording drums in his home studio for producers in Greece and Cyprus since 2015. His recording work ranges from atmospheric – sound scaping music to funk, pop, rock and ethnic sounds always following and enriching the producer’s guidelines and aesthetic.