CySO welcomes new artistic director and conductor

Austrian-born Günter Neuhold will soon take over as the new artistic director and chief conductor of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and a press conference on Wednesday at the Pallas Theatre in Nicosia welcomed him on board.

Attendees included representatives of ministries, municipalities and collaborators of the foundation. The Austrian ambassador Dorothea Auer was also present.

A video shown to the audience focused on Neuhold’s long career and his participation in numerous orchestra competitions, garnering many awards. He has conducted many renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic, the National Orchestra of France, the Radio Orchestra Tchaikovsky in Moscow, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the RAI Orchestra of Rome and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo, among others.

Neuhold has also conducted in the most eminent opera houses in the world, including the Opera of Vienna, Berlin, Paris, La Scala in Milan.

The presentation included a short programme by musicians from the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra with works by Nikos Skalkottas (Greek Dances) and the Cypriot traditional song ‘Tessera tzai Tessera’.

Neuhold then explained his vision for the orchestra, followed by speeches from the president of the CYSOF board of directors, Elena Mouzala, the vice-president of the CYSOF board of directors, Omiros Pissarides, the president of the CySO Musicians’ Guild, Antonis Bargilly and the concertmaster of the CySO, Wolfgang Schroeder.

The members of the panel highlighted the significance of a funding increase from the finance ministry to the CYSOF which will pay for the expansion of the orchestra from 45 to 65 members with which the new conductor will be able ensure the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra can realise its full potential.

www.cyso.org.cy