Sounds of Cyprus: A Premiere of Traditional Cypriot Folk Compositions and Dances

Join us for this performance of traditional Cypriot music and dance by Sounds of Cyprus, a Cypriot orchestra co-founded by Peter Douskalis and Elena Chris in New York City.

This event will take place in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor.

Sounds of Cyprus is thrilled to bring a vibrant showcase of traditional Cypriot music and dance to the heart of New York City. The ensemble comprises highly skilled musicians and dancers who are deeply passionate about preserving and promoting Cyprus's cultural legacy. Through their captivating performances, Sounds of Cyprus aims to foster greater appreciation and understanding of the multicultural diversity of Cypriot traditions among audiences.

This special concert underscores NYPL's ongoing commitment to highlighting the diversity and richness of New York City's global heritage. By partnering with the Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus, Sounds of Cyprus not only celebrates the artistic excellence of Cyprus but also strengthens cultural diplomacy and fosters cross-cultural dialogue, multicultural music, and intercultural exchange.

Audiences can expect an immersive journey into the soul-stirring melodies, intricate rhythms,and dynamic movements that define Cypriot music and dance. From lively folk tunes to evocative ballads, the concert will showcase the depth and variety of Cyprus's musical traditions, transporting listeners to the sun-kissed landscapes and vibrant communities that have shaped this unique cultural tapestry.

To join the event in-person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT Sounds of Cyprus

Sounds of Cyprus is a Cypriot orchestra co-founded by Peter Douskalis and Elena Chris in New York City. The group performs the traditional music of Cyprus in varying orchestrations and styles that both consciously honor the time period of composition and period instruments as well as perform with a modern approach. Elena Chris, vocalist and Creative/Artistic Director of the group, sings the traditional songs in the Cypriot dialect of Greek, as well as in Turkish for songs that contain lyrics in both languages. Peter Douskalis, Project/Music Director, plays the laouto, oud, mandolin, and guitar in the group, switching between the proper instrument as needed for the authentic and modern orchestration of the pieces. Other instruments of the group are violin/viola (Alex Tasopoulos), contrabass (Erikos Vlesmas), pithkiavli and ney (Stavros Papadopoulos), percussion (Mark Katsaounis), vocals (Gizem Gokoglu), and oud (Murat Keyder).

In 2016, Elena and Peter created the band Sounds of Cyprus with the aim of exploring the Cypriot musical culture as well as its distribution and dissemination. This band includes only Cypriot songs, often in a more contemporary approach but with traditional Cypriot musical instruments such as the laouto and the pithkiavli. Throughout each concert presentation, the group interjects stories and narratives about the musical instruments and their history, as well as to the history of the songs, dialect, and culture of Cyprus.

For more information about Sounds of Cyprus, their upcoming projects, and to become a community partner, visit www.soundsofcyprus.com.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Peter Douskalis (Project and Music Director) is the cofounder and Project/Music Director of Sounds of Cyprus. He is one of the guitar chairs on the Broadway musical Water For Elephants, and has previously been a substitute musician on various Broadway and off-Broadway shows such as The Lion King and Hamilton. He has also substituted as musician at the Broadway shows Dear Evan Hansen, School of Rock, Mean Girls, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Caroline or Change, and has a Grammy nomination as a participating musician on the New Broadway Cast Album of Caroline, or Change, in the category of Musical Theatre. He has published three academic articles in education journals and has given two TEDx Talks on multicultural music and intercultural music education. He is also the author of the "Essential Elements Guitar Ensembles: Multicultural Songs" by Hal Leonard Corporation. The project Sounds of Cyprus is partly a research into his own roots but also an effort to unite the communities of conflicted heritage while also promoting the beauty of Cypriot music, culture, history, and language to broader audiences. It is a tangible and practical project that demonstrates the beauty of intercultural music education and positive cultural exchange.

Elena Chris (Creative and Artistic Director) was born and raised in Cyprus. From an early age she showed her love for music by starting piano and vocal lessons and has appeared on Cypriot Television shows such as the Traditional Night on RIK. She is cofounder and Artistic/Creative Director of Sounds of Cyprus and has appeared on Greek and Cypriot channels Alpha, Antenna, and ERT. She has collaborated with several renowned artists in the field of music. Her voice can be heard all over the world as the sound of Cyprus and her efforts have caught the attention of American and Greek universities where she has performed such as Princeton University and Ionian University. She performs regularly across New York City and has sung in the Broadway cabaret scene “Broadway Rocks” and “Disney Villains”. She has performed in many music scenes because of her versatility both stylistically and linguistically.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTES

In Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

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Please submit all press inquiries to Amy Geduldig at least 48 hours before the event: email amygeduldig@nypl.org.
 

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All programs are subject to change or cancellation.

This Sounds of Cyprus performance is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and under the auspices of the Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus. Sounds of Cyprus is fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).