Newsroom
A special French-inspired edition of the concert series The Piano Tour will take place in Eleftheria Square in Nicosia on March 28, 2026, as part of the international celebration of Francophonie Month.
The event is organized by the Avantgarde Cultural Organization in collaboration with the Department of Contemporary Culture of Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Culture. For this particular occasion, the series adopts the French title “Le Piano Tour,” showcasing the theme of the evening and its connection to French language and culture.
Francophonie Month is celebrated worldwide every March and promotes the French language as a medium for artistic expression, cultural exchange, and international dialogue. French remains one of the major global languages of diplomacy and culture, spoken by hundreds of millions of people in more than 80 countries. Through music, literature, theatre, and other art forms, it has historically served as a bridge linking diverse cultures.
The concert series The Piano Tour, first launched in 2019, has become known for presenting piano performances in unusual locations across Cyprus. Previous recitals have been staged in settings ranging from castles and forests to shipwreck sites and modern cityscapes. The performances are typically streamed live online, allowing audiences to experience the events beyond the physical venue.
The upcoming concert will be held Saturday, March 28 at 19:00 and will feature two well-known Cypriot performers: pianist Manolis Neophytou and singer Vakia Stavrou. Admission to the event will be free. As with previous concerts in the series, the performance will be broadcast live on Facebook through the Avantgarde Cultural Organization’s page and the page of the Department of Contemporary Culture. A recording will also later be made available on YouTube.
The musical program will center largely on French repertoire, including iconic songs such as “Sous le ciel de Paris” and “Non, je ne regrette rien,” made famous by Édith Piaf. The evening will also feature beloved Greek compositions by Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis, along with internationally recognized pieces including “Historia de un Amor” and “Por una cabeza.”
The performers
Manolis Neophytou began his concert career at a young age, giving his first recital at 11 before continuing his studies at the Central State Special Music School of the former Soviet Union. He later attended the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, graduating in 2002 with support from the Nikolas Economou Foundation. That same year he studied in Paris at the École Normale de Musique under a scholarship from the Albert Roussel Foundation. He later earned a Master of Music in Performance and Related Studies from the University of London.
Neophytou has represented Cyprus three times at the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians and has received distinctions in several international competitions. His performance career has taken him to numerous countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, where he has appeared both in solo recitals and with orchestras. In addition to performing, he teaches piano, gives masterclasses, composes music for documentaries, and has released a digital album of his own work.
Vakia Stavrou, a singer and songwriter with an international profile, studied music at the Prague Conservatory. Her composition “Sozinha,” written in Portuguese, marked an important step in establishing her presence in the global music scene. Known for writing and performing in multiple languages, she frequently appears at major international festivals including Au Fil des Voix in Paris, Mawazine Festival in Casablanca, and Barnasants Songwriter’s Festival in Barcelona, among others.
A significant milestone in her career was her participation in the United Nations gala concert in Geneva in 2017, where she performed alongside the Moroccan Symphony Orchestra.
Her most recent album, “ALASIA,” released by the French label Accords Croisés, features 15 original songs in three languages. The project also includes contributions from Portuguese author José Luís Peixoto, who wrote two poems that were set to music. French journalist Bertrand Dicale of France Culture described Stavrou’s voice as “magical and captivating,” praising its distinctive clarity and emotional impact.
