Musician tuned in to the dances of Cyprus

In a Cypriot violinist, PAUL LAMBIS finds a man inspired by the island’s cultural heritage

Although research suggests that nearly half of musical skill is hereditary, Cypriot violinist Pavlos Michaelides believes it is practice and experience that play a vital role in propelling musicians towards mastery and success. He attributes his own love of music to his parents, who encouraged him and his siblings to play an instrument from an early age.

Today, Michaelides has a remarkable repertoire that links him to some of Greece and Cyprus’ most prominent musical luminaries.

Born in Nicosia to a family of refugees from both Asia Minor and the occupied villages of Kythrea and Ayios Amvrosios, Michaelides’ work has been influenced by folk music tradition and his unique cultural heritage.

His most recent work, which comprises a studied anthology of dances of Cyprus, as well as a collection of instrumental pieces, emphasises the important role of the violin in their performance.

The violin though was not the first musical instrument Michaelides encountered. “I come from a family of four children, three boys and one girl, and our parents wanted us to learn music from a young age, so the boys were given guitars and our sister was directed towards the piano,” he said.

“However, I soon realised that there was no connection with the guitar, and it wasn’t until I saw a school friend playing the violin that I realised that was the instrument I wanted to learn.”

At the time, he believed that there was only one way for music, especially for the violin, and that was the classical route. “I was only introduced to traditional Cypriot folk music near the end of high school, but there weren’t any good teachers in Nicosia at the time who were focused on this specific style, so my father advised me to pursue classical music education, knowing that I would eventually cross paths with Cypriot music.”

After studying music at the Athens branch of the University of Indianapolis, he began his music career as a concertmaster and member of various symphonic and other musical ensembles.

In 2005, Michaelides opted to relocate to Greece to gain first-hand knowledge of traditional music. “I was working as a banker while furthering my music studies,” he told the Cyprus Mail. “Although I had learned some traditional music, I felt I was not yet ready to play professionally. Following the Greek financial crisis, I returned to Cyprus and undertook many music projects.”

In 2014, Michaelides co-founded the music group Trio Levante with Petros Kouloumis and Pantelis Ionas, focusing on the Greek urban folk sounds of Smyrna, Asia Minor. “This rich musical heritage reflects the societal problems that the Greek community faced at the time,” he added.

Four years later, Michaelides was inspired by his deep connection to traditional music to form the Aes Cyprium Ensemble, a musical scheme centred on Cyprus’ traditional music. “There are common characteristics found in the musical traditions of the island’s neighbouring communities, and our music emphasises Cyprus’ unique stylistic elements.”

As an aspiring violinist in his adolescence, Michaelides always wanted to work alongside renowned Greek artists, but didn’t achieve this until he was in his thirties, “when my perspective had changed to a more professional one, realising the importance of collaborating and producing quality music.”

Over the course of his nearly three-decade career, Michaelides has collaborated with well-known Greek and Cypriot artists such as Dionysis Savvopoulos, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Glykeria, Areti Ketime, Petros Kouloumis and Vasiliki Hadjiadamou.

When it comes to his musical approach, he believes research is fundamental. For the past few years, he has been researching old recordings of Cypriot folkloric music, sifting through a vast library of archived material and information that has culminated in his recent volume of work, which includes a selection of 26 instrumental pieces.

“Dances of Cyprus is my most recent work, and it celebrates our rich Cypriot cultural heritage that has been passed down through the generations.”

His new album, to be released on May 15 at the University of Cyprus, focuses on Cypriot identity and the externalisation of emotions through dancing. “Dances are an integral part of the family and collective life of the people of the island,” he said.

The main aim of his work though is to highlight and promote Cypriot musical identity. “Through my work, I hope to document an important component of Cyprus’ intangible cultural heritage while also shining a light on our island in the international community.”

To find out more about Pavlos Michaelides and his work, visit www.violin.cy