Music Department
The Music Department is consisted of a violin, lute, tampoutsia and occasionally of an accordion and an oblong folk drum (toumperleki). Besides, excellent voices participate, as of Maria’s Efthymiou-Lazarou and Giorgos’s Minas. The department presents a complete Cypriot musical repertory which includes all of the Cypriot folk songs and dances.
Parallel to this, creative work based on the Cypriot tradition is taking place. Until now, innovative songs and dances having as theme the seeding, harvesting, winnowing, emigration, love, war and the Turkish occupation, have been performed.
The singer of the group, Maria Lazarou, in 2005 in Lithuania, at an international festival, won the 2nd prize of the competition for “best voice” among 18 countries, and the orchestra of the group won the 3rd prize for the “best orchestra.” They also operate a children’s music department, which simultaneously serves as a nursery for young musicians who want to engage in Cypriot music. Many young people between the ages of 12 and 17 who play various instruments participate in this department.
In 1991, the first remarkable record album of our group was launched under the title «Vasilitzia mou Perkalli» with music by Adamos Katsantonis, who is also the musical director of the group. Kostas Katsantonis, Antonis and Adamos Katsantonis are the lyricists. This album was a great success receiving exceptional reviews.
In 1998, a new big CD was launched, under the title «Vasilitzia, ton fkioron i vasilissa», of the same composer with lyrics from the following lyricists: Pavlos Liasides, Kyriacos Karneras, Costas Katsantonis, Antonis N. Katsantonis and Dimitris Ttakkas.
In 2005, a third CD was launched, under the title «Ime tzie eyio mita sou». Koulis Theodorou was the composer of the CD and the lyrics were written by the poets, Pavlos Liasides, Antonis N. Katsantonis, Antonis Gavriel Papas and Christos Alekou.
In 2005, also, Maria Lazarou, the singer of the Group, won the second prize of a best voice competition between 18 countries in Lithuania. The Group’s orchestra won the third prize as one of the best orchestra in the competition.
In 2021, the 5th album of the group titled ‘Kopiaste’ was released. It is a musical narrative with a descriptive narration by Andreas Melekkes, an authentic “poetic” voice by Markos Katsiates, and storytelling by Kostis Kouloumis. This album takes the listener on a journey to the old days of Cypriot tradition, a time when marriage was considered a grand ceremony. The musical arrangement was done by Loukia Lazarou.
Konstantinos Karvellos
He was born in Larnaca in 1993. He began piano lessons at the age of 6 with Popi Souroulla at the Odeio Lykeiou Ellinidon Ammochostou (Larnaca branch), where he also attended advanced music theory classes. Starting from 2007, he continued his piano studies with professor Nicolas Constantinou and advanced music theory with Loizos Loizou.
He has participated in piano seminars in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Germany, and Belgium, with distinguished pianists such as Fabio Bidini, Marta Gulyas, Luis Fernardo Perez, Betty Mallard, David Renner, Paavali Jumppanen, Milan Langer, Martin Kasik, Aaron Shorr, among others. He also regularly attended piano seminars with Christodoulos Georgiades.
He holds a Grade 8 in Piano (2008) and a Grade 8 in Music Theory (2011) from the Royal School of Music.
He has participated in piano competitions in Cyprus and abroad, including the Maria Chairogiorgou – Sigara Panhellenic Piano Competition in 2010 (1st Prize) and the 10th Vienna International Piano Competition in 2010 (3rd Prize).
He gave his first piano recital at the age of 16 (Kastelliotissa, Nicosia, 2009). In 2011, he collaborated as a soloist with the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra, performing J. S. Bach’s Cembalo Concerto in D minor in a series of concerts.
In April 2013, he began his studies as a piano soloist (Bachelor of Music Instrumental – Klavier) with Professor Balazs Szokolay.
Since 2018, he has been working in Cyprus.
