Charmed and thrilled, were the audiences of the three opera performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's masterpiece "Così Fan Tutte” that the 16th Pafos Aphrodite Festival presented at the enchanting square of the Medieval Castle of Paphos on the 5th, 6th and 7th of September. Each and everyone found in the crowded Castle, left with the best impressions, not only on the night of the premiere, but on the following two performances that were a great success, exceeding all expectations.
The famous witty opera was a co-production of the Pafos Aphrodite Festival Cyprus Company and the Lyric Organisation Opera Futura from Verona, with the participation of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, the lyric choir of Pafos Aphrodite Festival and the choir «Amintore Galli» of the city of Rimini, Italy.
The internationally acclaimed director Paolo Panizza utilized the picturesque landscape and managed to bring forward the extremely competent and sharp romantic opera by Mozart, a story of love and infidelity, demonstrating an eminent production of quality and expertise, which was applauded by the attendees.
The viewers were captivated by the great performances of the renowned artists of the opera, as well as by the musical direction of the Conductor and Chorus Master Mr. Agis Ioannides, who inspired great performances from all orchestra musicians. It is worth noting, that for the first time in the history of the festival, a Cypriot conductor is directing the orchestra.
The President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nikos Anastasiadis, while declaring the opening of the Festival, at the premiere of the opera, which was attended by ministers, party leaders, government officials, parliamentarians, ambassadors and other prominent figures, emphasised that the PAF has become an established institution and is an important cultural event of international appeal, which contributes to the promotion of both Paphos and the whole of Cyprus.
The Chairman of the Board of the PAFC company, Mayor of Paphos Mr. Savvas Vergas, while welcoming the opera lovers at the milestone play of Mozart, emphasized that this year's edition of the Pafos Aphrodite Festival is a tangible proof that culture can and must, not only survive in times of deep economic crisis but also flourish and prosper.
The dominant figure of the Castle under the starlit sky and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, was certainly the perfect setting for the eminent aesthetic performance of "Cosi Fan Tutte", while unique was also the presentation of the opera by the glamorous actors Andreas Vougioukas and Varvara Larmou.
The curtain call of the 16th Pafos Aphrodite Festival, found organisers and opera fans renewing their appointment for 2015 at, as promised, a more international scale operatic spectacle.
Founding Sponsors of Pafos Aphrodite Festival 2014 were the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism through the Cyprus Tourism Organization. Main sponsor of this year's event was Piraeus Bank. Supporters of the event were the Cooperative Credit Institutions, the Bank of Cyprus, PRIUS – the official representative of TRANSAS GROUP St. Petersburg in Russia, the Cyprus Ports Authority, MTN, ENVITEC A.E, and the Italian Embassy in Cyprus. Hospitality was sponsored by Kanika Hotels and Resorts through Alexander the Great Beach Hotel.
