Deep into June’s cultural calendar already, the 29th Cultural Festival of the University of Cyprus is ongoing at Axiothea Mansion in old Nicosia. Up next is Wednesday’s performance as Stelios Petrakis presents his new album Lyric.

The project centres around the lyra and is marked by strong Mediterranean and intercultural influences. Connecting creative explorations with related modal traditions of the Mediterranean, the album highlights the profound expressive power of the lyra and its musical language. Audiences will travel to Crete and Asia Minor, southern Italy and Valencia.

On Sunday, three folkloric dance associations and six musicians from Cyprus join the Traditional Dance Workshop of the Church of Holy Wisdom in a unique performance dedicated to the rich musical and dance traditions of four regions of the wider Hellenic world. Through the performance, the festival’s audiences are taken on a journey to Cyprus, Pontus, Asia Minor and Eastern Rumelia and through music, songs and dance, the shared cultural memory of these regions comes alive – from the joys and sorrows to moments of everyday life.

At the heart of the performance are the homes left behind. Homes abandoned because of historical events, forced displacement and population movements, yet are kept alive in the memories and stories of the people who once lived in them. The songs and dances that once filled these homes form precious elements of an intangible cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation.

Kicking off July’s performance is vibraphonist Dimitris Angelakis and his quartet as they present the performance Long Way Home on July 7. Together they will perform music from Angelakis’ debut personal album of the same title, which is inspired by CP Cavafy’s Ithaca, and stems from the composer’s belief that we become who we are through our journeys. Each original composition tells a story, with most drawing inspiration from Greece, even when marked by the sound and culture of American jazz.

ENA Theatre’s play The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith continues the festival programme on July 10-12. As one of the most compelling psychological thrillers of the 20th century, which was recently adapted into a series for Netflix, the story captivates audiences with its atmosphere, suspense and profound psychological depth. A local cast will bring it to life, performing in Greek.

Closing the festival’s first part is The Zurna and Davul of Cyprus performance by the Cypriot Music Archive. Kemal Deveci and Aziz Kahraman, traditional musicians from Cyprus who play the zurna and the davul respectively, take centre stage in this rare presentation of the authentic Cypriot tradition associated with these two musical instruments.

Born in Galinoporni in the Karpasia Peninsula in 1948 and 1951 respectively, Deveci and Kahraman are considered among the last living musicians who still know and perform the old Cypriot repertoire for zurna and davul as it was played before being altered by influences from Turkish music after 1974.

In this performance, the two musicians present the complete musical ritual of the Cypriot wedding for these two instruments, reconstructing an old world of sounds deeply connected to the collective memory and social life of Cyprus. Explanatory commentary and contextual insights provided between the musical pieces by Dr Nicoletta Demetriou, ethnomusicologist and director of the Cyprus Music Archive (CMA), shed light on the historical, social and functional context of the repertoire.

29th University of Cyprus Cultural Festival

Theatre, dance, music and cultural performances take the floor. Until July 14. Axiothea Mansion, Nicosia. 8.30pm. Free or €10. €50 for season ticket. Tel: 22894531-2. [email protected], https://www.facebook.com/ucyculturalcentre