Cyprus Sympnony Orchestra – A MAGICAL NIGHT Maria Farantouri sings Mikis Theodorakis – 14-15.5.2026

The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra is greatly honoured and excited to join forces for the first time with the distinguished Greek artist Maria Farantouri in a special tribute to Mikis Theodorakis, for a truly magical night! The concert also marks the first performance of the Orchestra under the direction of the its new Artistic Director, the internationally acclaimed conductor Myron Michailidis.

Maria Farantouri, the iconic interpreter of Mikis Theodorakis, will perform with her uniquely profound expressiveness and inner intensity a selection of the composer’s most celebrated songs, alongside seven songs from the song cycle Odyssey (2007, poetry by Kostas Kartelias).

‘Odyssey’ is the final song cycle composed by the great Greek composer. Its creation was sparked by the emotion Mikis Theodorakis experienced, upon first reading the poetry of Kostas Kartelias in 2006, at the age of 81: “When I read Kostas Kartelias’s poems, I suddenly felt a stirring, as I did when I was younger,” the composer confides in the album’s presentation. It was only natural that Theodorakis entrusted both the interpretation and recording of these songs to his quintessential interpreter, Maria Farantouri. “Mikis Theodorakis surprised us with this new, fresh and romantic work. We are accustomed to his austere expression, yet lyricism has always glowed beneath the surface of his songs,” Farantouri herself has remarked about the cycle.

The songs of ‘Odyssey’ form a journey into the depths of the modern human soul: love, loneliness, and existential impasses, as each of us, like a contemporary Odysseus, inevitably confronts “clashing rocks” in the search for our own “Ithaca.” As Theodorakis eloquently writes: “Here, the very subject matter points to the exaltation of the ‘individual’, who, like Odysseus, struggles alone—himself and the sea. Thus, the ‘individual’, that is, our very self, must ultimately come to terms with the idea that Ithaca does not exist, and must instead cling to his own passions and emotions in order to remain afloat on the foaming sea that is life.”

The concert culminates in a selection of the composer’s most emblematic songs. The incomparable melodies of Mikis Theodorakis—so deeply cherished—interweave creatively with the poetry of leading Greek poets, illuminating the timeless power and universal resonance of his work. The orchestrations, both of the ‘Odyssey’ cycle and the songs, are by Antonis Sousamoglou and Lazaros Tsavdaridis.

The evening is further enriched by the symphonic ballet suite ‘The Carnival’ (1953), a work that vividly reflects Theodorakis’s creative assimilation and transformation of Greek popular music. As the composer writes: “In 1947, I was in exile on Ikaria, and it was then that I first came into meaningful contact with our popular (laïkó) music. The first song I heard was ‘Captain Andreas Zeppos’… Immediately afterwards, I began systematically collecting popular (laïkó) songs.” This song, along with other Greek popular (laïkó) and folk melodies and dances, is imaginatively orchestrated by Theodorakis, “seeking those orchestral colours that respond to the character of the work’s rhythmic and melodic material.”

‘The Carnival’ was first presented in November 1953 in Athens by the Athens State Orchestra under the direction of Andreas Paridis. It was later staged as a ballet at the Rome Opera in 1954 by the Greek Dance Theatre of Rallou Manou, with the Rome Opera Orchestra. Subsequent symphonic premieres followed, in Paris in 1958 and London in 1959.

The authentic interpretations of Maria Farantouri, the dynamic presence of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, and the interpretative vision of conductor Myron Michailidis offer a unique musical journey, illuminating the multifaceted work of Mikis Theodorakis—from the deeply human and intimate creator to the leading Greek composer of global stature.

PROGRAMME

Mikis THEODORAKIS:

Popular and emblematic songs

Seven songs from the cycle ‘Odyssey’ (poetry: Kostas Kartelias)

Orchestrations: Antonis Sousamoglou, Lazaros Tsavdaridis

“The Carnival” – symphonic suite

Maria Farantouri, vocalist

Cyprus Symphony Orchestra

Myron Michailidis, conductor

The concerts are held under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.

Ticket prices: Zone Α: €35 / €30 (concession) and Zone Β: €30 / €25 (concession)

Ticket presales:

Pallas Theatre, Pafos Gate (Rigainis and Arsinois corner, 1010 Lefkosia, 22 410181):

Online at cyso.interticket.com and at the theatre box office 1,5 hrs before the concert.