Condolences poured in from both sides of the divide for the death on Tuesday of the co-conductor of the Bicommunal Choir for Peace Lena Melanidou.

“We lost our conductor Lena Melanidou. We lost the sister, the friend, the soul of our choir,” the group said in a statement.

Melanidou was a founding member and co-conductor of the choir since 1998. She reportedly died in hospital from a serious health issue.

The choir’s other co-conductor Kursat Tilki in a message on social media said Melanidou was now “an angel of peace.”

He said Melanidou would live on in the hearts and songs of the bicommunal choir which she called family.

Akel bode farewell “to the maestro of peace”, saying her death was a huge loss for the cultural events of Cyprus but especially for the rapprochement movement.

“Lena […] inspired dozens of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to sing the cause of peace and hope for the reunification of Cyprus,” the party said.

Disy too said Melanidou was a visionary “with a great contribution both to the cultural events of our country and to the efforts for the rapprochement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”

Former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Markoullis said Melanidou was “a true angel in soul and in voice, with a passion for music, but above all for the reunification of our homeland.”