On the Occasion of World Refugee Day 2018 and under the auspices of the UNHCR Office in Cyprus, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra is holding a concert to honour the strength, resilience and courage of refugees around the world.  

The concert, under the artistic direction of Jens Georg Bachmann and with guitar soloist, George Nouneh, will take place on

Wednesday 20 June 2018, 20:30 at the Faneromeni Square, Nicosia.

This event will be open and free to the public. 

The event is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Embassy of Sweden, the Municipality of Nicosia and the Friends of Nicosia Association. 

A few words about the programme:

Born in Syria but having moved with his family to the US at the age of 13, Kareem Roustom was steeped in the musical traditions of the Near East but also, in the US, trained in western concert music and jazz.  He will offer “Dabke”, a folk-dance native to the Levant, the name of which is derived from the Arab word meaning “stamping of the feet” and widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions.

The Soloist:

George Nouneh is a Syrian refugee who now lives in Cyprus. He is a self-taught guitarist, composes and plays his own music although he can’t read or write music. He studied English literature and worked in sales, finance and marketing, yet, music is the great love of his life: “Music has kept me sane throughout some difficult times and a strong will to survive.”

Of all of Beethoven's seven symphonies, the Second is arguably the least well-known. Furthermore, filled as it is with the composer’s musical jokes, it shocked the sensibilities of many of his contemporaries.

PROGRAMME:

Kareem Roustom: Dabke for string orchestra

George Nouneh: Work for guitar and strings (orch. Y. Hadjiloizou)

L. v. Beethoven: Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 36

More information is available from the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, tel 22 463144 and www.cyso.org.cy