Another great festival season starts on Syros! Curated by the Syros – Ermoupolis Municipality, SYROS CULTURE 2019 brings unique, high-quality experiences to the heart of the Cyclades from May to October – concerts by prominent music artists, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, and children’s events.
Hosted in the island’s medieval settlement, Ano Syros – the birthplace of Rebetiko legend Markos Vamvakaris – as well as at the Apollon Theatre – one of the oldest theatre houses in Greece, a landmark neoclassical building in the country’s first commercial hub, the port of Ermoupolis – and in the island’s picturesque villages, with their spectacular architecture, SYROS CULTURE 2019 offers an array of not-to-be-missed cultural experiences on this beautiful island.
Don’t just take our word for it – check out for yourself what Syros festivals have to offer:
2nd Youth Festival «Syrianopato» (2-5/5/2019) | www.facebook.com/syrianopato
At the festival of traditional dances “Syrianopato”, children’s and teenage dancing groups present a rich music-dance program with traditional dances from all over Greece! The festival is organized by the Folkloric and Dance Group “The Wisdom of the Tradition”.
8th Ermoupolis Choral Festival (22-23/6/2019) | www.facebook.com/groups/117153118316400
Ermoupolis Choral Festival is a wonderful initiative of the Syros Music Club, a well-established cultural association of Syros; choral ensembles from all over Greece and the world come to Syros for concerts.
5th Syros International Tango Festival (14-17/6/2019) | www.syrostangofestival.com
A festival full of passion thanks to the heart and soul of the organiser, Christina Sarioglou. Now in its fifth edition, Tango Festival goes international, featuring acclaimed performers from Argentina and Europe, and aiming to attract ever larger Greek and international audiences. The festival also features seminars for all levels, milonga evenings, and riveting performances.
4th International Rebetiko Festival “The Syra of Markos Vamvakaris” (1-6/7/2019) | www.facebook.com/rembetikofestival
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.
7th Syros DanceFest (6-19/7/2019) | http://dancefest.akropoditi.gr
A vision of Angeliki Sigourou, the 7th 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 top 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.
15th International Festival of the Aegean (14-28/7/2019) | www.festivaloftheaegean.com
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 for the 15th time, 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.
Syros International Film Festival (SIFF) 2019 (16-22/7/2019) | www.syrosfilmfestival.org
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, short 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.
26th Syros International Guitar Festival (22-26/7/2019) | www.guitarfestival.gr
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.
8th Syros International Accordion Festival (22-27/7/2019) | www.syrosaccordionfestival.com
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 round 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.
15th International Classical Music Festival of the Cyclades (9-18/8/2019) | www.festivalcyclades.com
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.
3rd ΑΝΩ International Organ Festival (19-25/8/2019) | https://anofestival.gr
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.
6th Eye’s Walk Digital Festival (26-31/7/2019) | www.eyeswalk.gr
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.
12th AnimaSyros International Animation Festival + Agora (18-22/9/2019) | www.animasyros.gr
Animasyros has grown into one of the world’s 20 most important animation festivals. Founded by Vassilis Karamitsanis, the festival features competition sections, special screenings at Poseidonia and in the medieval settlement of Ano Syros, film presentations, special tributes, secret screenings, major international guests, workshops for people with disabilities and the Agora – an annual market for leading animation professionals at Ermoupolis. Welcoming hundreds of animated characters and even more animation fans from around the world, the festival is organised in collaboration with major partners, including the Onassis Cultural Centre and the Greek National Opera.
3rd Stray Art Festival (20-22/9/2019) | www.facebook.com/strayartfestival
Stray Art Festival explores the different forms of urban art in all their diversity. Popular street and graffiti artists, alongside music and theatre performers, celebrate street culture. The festival is augmented by side events featuring music, dance, theatre, and sports. It was conceived by the students of the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of the Aegean, and has been enthusiastically embraced by the Syros community.
7th Syros Jazz Festival (4-6/10/2019) | www.syrosjazzfestival.gr
Syros Jazz Festival is the creation of Vangelis Aragiannis and Yannis Roussos’s love for Jazz music. The festival began in 2013, and its organisers had already produced a number of important live music concerts. One of the festival’s highlights was the presence in 2010 of two great American artists, singer Miles Griffith and drummer Clarence Penn. Every year, the festival hosts important acts from Greece and other countries. In addition to concerts, it features improvisation seminars and Jazz film screenings at Apollon Theatre, as well as high-quality side events. The festival’s events in October mark the conclusion of SYROS CULTURE 2019 organised by the Municipality of Syros – Ermoupolis, which is an integral part of cultural life on the island.
More press releases will follow before each festival.
Stay tuned!
