NEW YORK – Sounds of Cyprus continues to delight audiences across New York City with traditional Cypriot music and more in a number of free performances in May and June.

On May 13, the group began their day at Astoria’s Athens Square Park, performing as part of the Academy of Hellenic Paideia’s 6th Annual Timarete Hellenic Art Festival, musically accompanying their folk dance presentation. This was followed by a set at the Queens Night Market in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where visitors in attendance enjoyed the music among the hundreds of vendors representing ethnicities from around the globe.

On May 14, Sounds of Cyprus played their first of a series of stripped-down shows at Astoria’s 31st Avenue Open Streets program. Passersby, families, and those simply enjoying the day took in the sun and sounds of a mix of the band’s traditional repertoire, along with some other modern tunes.

The series of outdoor performances was capped off on May 21 with Sounds of Cyprus’ performance at the annual Kehila Kedosha Janina Greek Jewish Festival on the Lower East Side. Prior to playing, the group was introduced by Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus in New York Michalis Firillas. The lively audience danced along at the festival that is touted to be the only one of its kind in the world.

Sounds of Cyprus’ next outdoor performance is set for Saturday, June 18 at Astoria’s 31st Avenue Open Streets.

Sounds of Cyprus is a Cypriot orchestra co-founded by Elena Chris and Peter Douskalis in New York City. The group performs the traditional music of Cyprus in varying orchestrations and styles that both consciously honor the time period of composition and period instruments as well as perform with a modern approach. Elena Chris, vocalist and front person of the group, sings the traditional songs in the Cypriot dialect of Greek, as well as in Turkish for songs that have lyrics in both languages. Peter Douskalis, Music Director, plays the laouto, oud, mandolin, and guitar in the group, switching between the proper instrument as needed for the authentic and modern orchestration of the pieces. Alex Tasopoulos plays the violin and the viola, Erikos Vlesmas the upright bass, Stavros Papadopoulos the pithkliavli and ney, and Mark Katsaounis percussion. The group has been active in the United States, promoting the traditional music of Cyprus to American audiences as well as Greek and Cypriot communities.

More information is available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundsOfCyprus

Instagram: @SoundsOfCyprus.