Volume L, No 3, July-September 2012 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

4 th International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival
9 – 29 September 2012
he Festival had an impressively interna-
outlook and provided a rare op-
«Ttional
portunity to sample contemporary composition
beyond the well-trodden paths.»
Tim Rutherford-Johnson (Guardian, Tempo, The
Rambler)
Having established itself as one of the most cuttingedge
and innovative annual events in the Eastern
Mediterranean, the International Pharos Contemporary
Music Festival is now in its fourth year. The
Festival is dedicated to the promotion of new music,
both the established masterpieces of the contemporary
music literature of the 20 th century and a
great number of premieres by leading young composers
from all over the world who have been commissioned
by the Pharos Arts Foundation to write
new works especially for the Festival. The Festival
provides a forum for composers and performers
to advance and develop new projects and explore
new worlds of sound in chamber music settings. Its
other objective is to bring contemporary music to
general audiences in Cyprus and elsewhere, as this
is the music of our times – it is directly linked to
many forms of visual and creative arts, and science.
It is intimate with the modern human spirit.
The 4 th International Pharos Contemporary Music
Festival was a thrilling experience. It presented a
number of exciting events, from 9 until 29 September
2012, including a seldom heard repertoire
for strings, winds, voice, percussion and harp. Six
of the finest contemporary ensembles in the world
presented classical contemporary masterpieces
by composers such as Schönberg, Stockhausen,
Xenakis and Ligeti while joining forces with more
than 20 young, internationally acclaimed composers
from all over the world. Each of these composers
wrote a newly-commissioned work that was
given its world premiere during the Festival.
There were concerts by the Arirang Wind Quintet
& Marios Nicolaou/percussion; Quartetto Prometeo;
The Nieuw Ensemble; Ensemble Aleph; El
Perro Andaluz, and the Kairos String Quartet. A
screening of Towards of Beyond was offered, and
the Kairo String Quartet and El Perro Andaluz
hosted workshops.
The Venues
The Shoe Factory is situated in Old Nicosia, near
the UN buffer zone. With the Shoe Factory, the
Pharos Arts Foundation is revitalising this beautiful
and historic section of the capital by attracting
a wide and diverse younger audience. All concerts
at the Shoe Factory are characterised by a unique
intimacy, and the music is performed in an exceptionally
inspiring setting. The Shoe Factory is a
modern venue decorated with contemporary art by
mainly local artists and offers audiences the unique
opportunity to sit within an amazing proximity to
world famous artists and experience performances
in a space like no other.
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