If you want to combine a visit to a Greek island with cultural events, then Syros, the capital island of the Cyclades complex, is the one!
6th Syros DanceFest 2018
(7 – 21/7/2018) |
A vision of Angeliki Sigourou, the 6th International DanceFest features a wealth of events and workshops on contemporary dance, choreography, ballet, clown improvisation, dance architecture, Alexander technique, body music, theatre, flamenco, and yoga; also, a creative-dance workshop for people with and without mobility impairments, and a creative contemporary dance workshop for parents and children. Moreover, on tap are dance and theatre performances from Greece and other countries, as well as parallel events in public spaces. Notably, in 2016, Acropoditi Dance Theatre Company received the Karolos Koun Award for Medusa and their outstanding contribution to Syros culture.
6th Syros International Film Festival (SIFF)
(14–25/7/2018)
SIFF was founded in 2013 by Jacob Moe in collaboration with Cassandra Celestin. An annual meeting place for Greek and international indie cinema, with a variety of sections, including a competition section, shorts and feature films, special tributes, and many side events and debates, which take place in remodelled and traditional venues and other fantastic locations on the island. The Syros International Film Festival is organised in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Onassis Cultural Centre. A unique experience, featuring major Greek and international filmmakers.
14th International Festival of the Aegean
(15 – 29/7/2018)
Organised every year on the island of Syros, the International Festival of the Aegean plays host to extraordinary opera recitals that attract thousands of visitors. Founded in 2005 by the Greek-American conductor and music director Peter Tiboris as a labour of his love for Syros and the iconic Apollon Theatre, the festival, now in its 14th edition, under artistic director Eilana Lappalainen, attracts world-class artists from many countries and makes the capital of the Cyclades a summer destination for music lovers from Europe and all over the world.
25th Syros International Guitar Festival
(23 – 27/7/2018)
The Syros International Guitar Festival is a creative encounter for music teachers and students. Leading artists and educators join in an extensive programme of evening concerts, (this year introducing mini concerts – Musical Delights), the 15th guitar international competition, a masterclass, seminars for beginner students, and a guitar orchestra. One of the oldest-running festivals under artistic director Angelos Nikolopoulos, it has been organised for a quarter of a century with great success.
5th Eye’s Walk Digital Festival
(27 – 29/7/2018)
A festival that brings together the unique architectural heritage of Syros and contemporary video art and installations. Filia Milidaki and her team have created a festival of world-class originality. International artists produce video art and installations in the extraordinary neoclassical buildings of Ermoupolis in the only festival of its kind in Greece. Video art, installations, and performances meet against the backdrop of the city’s unique architecture. Celebrating the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, this year’s edition highlights the European cultural identity of Syros, exploring it in the context of other Mediterranean countries, such as Malta and Italy.
14th International Classical Music Festival of the Cyclades
(10 – 19/8/2018)
High-quality music concerts by world-renowned orchestras, conductors, chamber music artists, soloists, and performers. A firmly established festival of international appeal remembers all the great artists who have honoured it with their presence, including Leonidas Kavakos, Nobuko Imai, Michaela Martin, Frans Helmerson, Radovan Vlatkovic, Jannis Vakarelis, Costas Kotsiolis, Michel Lethiec, in a rich, diverse programme at the Apollon Theatre, the architectural gem of Ermoupolis. One of the festival’s founders is the important Greek music artist, principal violinist of the Greek National Opera, and artistic director of the festival, Yannos Margaziotis.
7th Syros International Accordion Festival
(20 – 25/8/2018)
Each summer, accordionists from Greece and other countries meet on Syros to share their passion for music. Since 2012, the festival has been supported by accordionists and accordion lovers. Spurred by their love for the accordion, Christelle Loukitch and Kandia Printezi (of Ourios Anemos nonprofit organisation) showcase the diverse possibilities of the instrument. Now in its seventh edition on Syros, the festival features unique accordion concerts and recitals in the only event dedicated to the accordion in Greece. Moreover, recitals by acclaimed accordionists, seminars, exhibitions, children’s workshops, concerts and dancing events.
2th ΑΝΩ International Organ Festival
(20 – 26/8/2018)
Organised by the Catholic Diocese of Syros and the Association of Catholics of Greek Nationality in Syros, ΑΝΩ International Organ Festival offers high-quality music performances, exploring the unique possibilities of the organ in Saint George’s Cathedral, Ano Syros – the oldest organ in operation in Greece (built in 1888 by the celebrated organ builder Zeno Fedeli). Set in a stunning location, towering over the island, with unobstructed views of the Aegean Sea, the festival is a major attraction in the medieval settlement of Ano Syros.
3rd International Rebetiko Festival “The Syra of Markos Vamvakaris”
(29/8 – 2/9/2018)
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Firmly established in the cultural life of Syros, Rebetiko Music Festival was launched in 2016 by the Municipality of Syros –Ermoupolis in collaboration with the Society for the Development and Progress of the Cyclades, Chamber of Commerce. Urban folk music has flourished on Syros as an integral element of culture since the early 20th century. The songs of the great singer and songwriter Markos Vamvakaris have made Rebetiko music and Syros known all over the world, inspiring the establishment of this festival. This year’s edition features an extensive range of events – concerts, theatrical performances, lectures, exhibitions, seminars, as well as children’s events, highlighting the contribution of Markos Vamvakaris and his native island, Syros, to Greek and world music.