To say that it has been a quiet year for live music would be an understatement. Concerts, gigs and performances have been put on hold yet with the arrival of spring the first few music nights are returning to the local scene. In Paphos, two concerts are coming up towards the end of the month, paying homage to Bach as part of the 4th Bach Birthday Festival organised by Paphos Music Lovers.

On March 21 at Markideio Theatre a pleasant and exciting programme will be presented by pianists Galina Dimova and Nicola Georgiev. The repertoire will focus on the transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach’s orchestral, organ and choral works for solo, four and six hands, with special guest Ivelina Ruseva.

Starting at 7pm, there will be a short introduction, illustrating why these transcriptions have been chosen yet the main attraction of the evening is the Brandenburg Concerto No.5 for four hands, a transcription which is new and has been done by the pianist Eleonor Bindman.

Before the pianists take the stage, a Teacher-Student concert will take place on the same afternoon where Tatiana Stupak School of Music’s most talented students and teachers will present a concert of works by Bach, his family and contemporaries. A limited number of spectators will be able to enjoy this mini-festival as the current measures only allow up to 50 audience members in theatres so the organisers encourage those interested to book their tickets soon via the soldoutticketbox.com website.

4th Bach Birthday Festival

Teacher/Student concert of the Tatiana Stupak School of Music performing pieces by Bach, his family and his contemporaries. March 21. Markideio Theatre, Paphos. 3pm. €10. www.soldoutticketbox.com

Homage to Bach performed by pianists Galina Dimova and Nicola Georgiev

March 21. Markideio Theatre, Paphos. 7pm. €15. www.soldoutticketbox.com