The music continues on Syros
It’s been a busy musical summer on Syros but the activity is far from over. Hot on the heels of the Aegean Festival last month comes the Cycladic International Music Festival, scheduled to start August 22 and run through September 1. Entering its third year this summer, the festival aims to establish itself as a meeting point and platform for collaboration between high-caliber classical music artists based both in Greece and abroad. The sophistication of classical music seems like a good fit for the cosmopolitan environment of Syros, an island in the heart of the Cyclades that boasts a grand old venue for such events, the historic Apollon Theater. The venue was inaugurated in the 19th century by an Italian opera company with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s «Rigoletto.» The Apollon Theater will host the majority of concerts scheduled for the Cycladic International Music Festival. This summer’s agenda includes artists Leonidas and Nicholas Kavvakos, double bassist Vassilis Papavassiliou, and the Danish Royal Orchestra’s string quartet. The festival will open with a chamber music ensemble featuring the soloists Lars Bjornkaer and Tobias Durholm for a presentation of Antonio Vivaldi’s «Four Seasons.» The renowned Greek artist Alekos Fasianos has provided a stage backdrop for the performance. One of the highlights is a concert by Kavvakos on August 31. For full details on the festival’s agenda, visit www.festivalcyclades.gr.