With Youthful Passion

By the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra with international participation.

Recovery from traumatic experiences in the lives of their composers is the connection between the two works on the programme.

In 1884 the 24-year old Gustav Mahler was getting over a great love disappointment and a serious personal crisis when he started working on his first symphony. Surely he drew his inspiration from his experiences and the work originally bore the title “symphonic poem”. The poet, deeply hurt emotionally, finds solace in the spring awakening of nature. He follows his path with full sails, confronts his infernal desperation, gives a titanic battle and finally triumphs.

Mahler grew up away from aristocratic whereabouts in the Bohemian province, where he heard and assimilated all kinds of music, folk and popular songs, dances, marches and much else. A multitude of elements from this very approachable music are incorporated and developed in his personal musical idiom, his symphonies and songs. Especially the first symphony teams with fine melodies, occasionally spontaneously fresh, occasionally ironical and sometimes with moving introspection.

Piotr Tchaikovsky was more mature in age when his disastrous marriage of three weeks’ duration precipitated his mental collapse and drove him to attempted suicide. During his recovery on the banks of Lake Geneva in the spring of 1878 he was inspired by a visit of his former pupil, violinist Adolph Brodsky to write with lightning speed a concerto for violin and orchestra. Even the best violinists of the time could not master the technical difficulties of the solo part and it was deemed unplayable. Only Brodsky rose to the challenge and after studying it for two years he premiered it in Vienna, albeit without success. Today, the concerto has become one of the best loved works of the classical repertory both for violinists and music lovers alike, not only through its virtuosic display but also through its attractive thematic material, discreetly imbued with Russian musical spirit.

PROGRAMME:
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Concerto for violin and orchestra op. 35
Gustav Mahler: Symphony no. 1 (“Titan”)
Soloist: Melina Harrer-Kanthou
Artistic Director and conductor: Ayis Ioannides

CYPRUS YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1987 by the Ministry of Education and Culture, as the Cyprus State Youth Orchestra. From the 1st January 2007, the orchestra’s administration has been undertaken by the newly founded Cyprus Symphony Orchestra Foundation and was renamed Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The Orchestra rehearses regularly during term time, gives about three concerts a year both in Cyprus and abroad, and participates regularly in official events such as the opening of the State Educational Fair.

A most important part of its activities is the annual International Summer Academy, which takes place in the high mountain resort of Pedoulas with the participation of highly qualified teachers of international standing and students from Cyprus and many other countries. The International Youth Symphony Orchestra which is formed and trained at the Summer Academy has already given highly acclaimed concerts at the International Kypria 2007, 2008 and 2009 Festivals. In 2010 it participated in the 1st International Youth Orchestras Festival, organized in Istanbul, European Capital of Culture 2010.

Since 1990 the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra organizes the Music Workshop, which offers talented young musicians free individual tuition on all orchestral instruments. It is staffed mainly by selected members of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

Box Office Bookings

Nicosia:
Pallas Cinema - Theatre
Tel.: 22410181

Larnaca:
Larnaca Municipal Theatre
Tel.: 24665795

Limassol:
Rialto Theatre
Tel.: 77777745

Municipal Garden Theatre
Tel.: 25582268, 25344341

Paphos:
Citizen’s Information & Service Centre
of the Municipality of Paphos
Tel.: 80008181

Within the framework of Kypria Festival 2011