The 16th Pharos Contemporary Festival to be held in Nicosia from 2 to 10 October 2025

The Pharos Arts Foundation will present the 16th International Festival of Contemporary Music, Pharos Contemporary, in Nicosia from 2 to 10 October 2025 at The Shoe Factory.

The festival programme includes four concerts, taking place on 2, 5, 8 and 10 October, alongside a parallel series of educational activities: masterclasses, educational concerts, seminars and presentations. The opening concert features the Dutch Black Pencil Ensemble, with a programme including Cyprus premieres of works by Calliope Tsoupaki, Johannes K. Hildebrandt, Celia Swart, Hugo Morales Murguia, B. C. Manjunath, Enric Monfort and Anthony Fiumara, as well as world premieres of commissioned works by Cypriot composers Antonia Kattou and Artemis Aifotiti.

On 5 October, the vocal Trio Mediæval will perform a repertoire spanning medieval to contemporary music, featuring works by Sungji Hong, Andrew Smith, Marianne R. Eriksen, Oleg Kharkavyy, Gavin Bryars and David Lang. On 8 October, pianist Hayk Melikyan will give a recital combining J. S. Bach and Baroque composers with 20th–21st century music, including Andreas Tsiartas and Christina Afinodorou. The festival will close on 10 October with the Arnold & Frączek Percussion Duo, presenting a programme based on Chopin’s mazurkas and waltzes alongside works by contemporary composers, including Nectarios Rodosthenous.

All concerts begin at 20:30. For Nicosia residents and visitors to the island, the festival offers access to an international programme and educational events designed to engage audiences with contemporary music.