The Strings Workshop

The Strings Workshop was established in October 2006 by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus. It represents the initial stage of a more comprehensive project for the development of young musical talents in Cyprus. This pioneering and ambitious initiative within the general sphere of cultural development provides opportunities for talented young Cypriot children to become involved with music and receive instruction on their instrument at the highest possible level.

The Violin Workshop is the first section of the project operating at this moment. Thirty-five children, aged between 4-14 years, participate in the workshop, who were selected at different periods of time during the four years of the Workshop’s operation. Since the Workshop’s establishment hundreds of parents have expressed great interest in their children’s participation.

The long-term objective of the Workshop is to locate children from all over Cyprus, aged 3-10 years, with a special talent in music and interest in learning an orchestral string instrument. Thus, through the application of suitable methods of instruction, guidance and supervision, a small children’s string orchestra will be created in the near future, which is expected to develop, within the next 10 years, into an orchestra equal to other similar internationally renowned and esteemed ensembles.

The Workshop operates under the supervision and guidance of the distinguished virtuoso violinist and music pedagogue Matheos Kariolou, who visits Cyprus regularly and works intensively with the children. Professor Kariolou, who lives and works in Austria, at Anton Bruckner Music University in Linz, has great experience in teaching the violin to both children of a very young age and older students, applying his own personal method of teaching. Professor Kariolou’s assistants who teach children systematically are: Menelaos Menelaou, Robert Hohvannesyan, Costas Demirtzoglou, Melina Harrer-Kanthou, Sorin Alexandru Horlea and Varvara Merzlova Peneva.

The Workshop’s performances have spread much enthusiasm in audience for their generally accepted high quality. In the framework of the Workshop’s operation, a group of highly talented children has been selected to form the ensemble “Cyprus Young Strings Soloists”. This ensemble has already performed with great success at various events and concerts.

In June 2010 “Cyprus Young Strings Soloists” were given the unique opportunity, invited by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Demetris Christofias, to perform in honour of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his Apostolic Journey to Cyprus. His Holiness expressed his great enthusiasm both for the project and for the children’s quality of performance.

In October 2010 the ensemble performed at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels at a concert for the celebration of the 50^th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Cyprus. The young performers received a prolonged standing ovation from a most enthusiastic audience. The concert was held under the auspices of the President of the European Parliament, Dr Jerzy Buzek.

In November 2010 the ensemble performed at the famous “Musikverein” concert hall in Vienna. This concert was included in the framework of the formal celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Cyprus and was held under the auspices of His Excellency the Federal President of Austria, Dr. Heinz Fischer, and His Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Demetris Christofias. Particularly the performance in Vienna has been characterized as “a performance to be remembered”.