The September agenda has arrived alive and kicking! A rich calendar will unfold over the next few weeks with events in towns and villages, for old and young. In the music scene, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra has something special in store for mid-September.

A one-of-a-kind musical experience is taking place in the heart of Nicosia, against the backdrop of the illuminated medieval walls. On September 19, the Music in the City event will do just that – bring classical melodies to the old city. Under the baton of rising Cypriot conductor Andreas Asiikkis, the orchestra will deliver an evening of elegance and magic by performing popular works and waltzes by Adolf Fredrik Lindblad, Jean Sibelius and Johann Strauss Jr.

Τhis year’s Music in the City concert is part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland to the European Union, and it is held in collaboration with their respective embassies. Taking place at Eleftheria Square at 8pm and with free entrance, the concert is bound to attract a large number of people.

For those who cannot make it to downtown Nicosia, the event will also be broadcast live on CyBC’s second TV channel. Co-organised by the Friends of Nicosia Association and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra Foundation, the concert promises to be a highlight of September’s cultural agenda.

Leading the musicians will be Andreas Asiikkis, a Cypriot conductor based in the Netherlands, who is on an exemplary path. Since September 2024, he has been enrolled at the prestigious NMO (National Master in Orchestral Conducting), where he is mentored by Jac van Steen, Ed Spanjaard and Antony Hermus. In the Netherlands, he has collaborated with the Ballet Orchestra in a production of Cinderella for families, and with the Dutch National Opera Academy, conducting Rossini at the Bredeweg Festival.

In Greece, he served as assistant conductor to Alkis Baltas at the Philharmonic Society of Corfu Symphony Orchestra and created a youth orchestra at the Ionian Conservatory, focusing on film music. He has also conducted orchestras such as the BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Athens State Orchestra. Most notably, in June 2024, he conducted a programme of Andronikou, Ye and Skalkottas with the BBC Philharmonic, recorded for BBC Radio 3. Next week, he returns to Cyprus to lead a concert that will spread music in the heart of the capital city.

Music in the City

Cyprus Symphony Orchestra concert. September 19. Eleftheria Square, Nicosia. 8pm. Free