Address by the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, at the performance “Carmen”of Pafos Aphrodite Festival 2025

It is a great pleasure for me to be with you this evening for the 2025 Pafos Aphrodite Festival, here at the iconic medieval Castle of Pafos which acts as the backdrop of the performance. The Festival, for a second time in a row, has chosen to collaborate with the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra who will perform one of the most beloved and well-known operas, Georges Bizet’s “Carmen”. I am sure that they will offer us a unique spectacle that blends the universal power of music, with speech, dance, and theatre.

The play selected for this year and the detailed care taken overall for the production reflect the commitment of Pafos Aphrodite Festival to offer another artistically and aesthetically perfect performance. The result will undoubtedly delight the spectators who gather in Pafos from all over the world to enjoy this great cultural event.

As before, the Deputy Ministry of Culture once again supports the Pafos Aphrodite Festival with a grant of 150,000 euros, recognising local government as a valuable partner with whom we join forces for the development and promotion of modern culture and the enrichment of our cultural product. This state sponsorship is part of the broader strategic planning for Contemporary Culture of the Government, which aims to support the creative industries sector by helping in the upgrade of the infrastructure and by granting funds through competitive schemes and by promoting cultural education.

I would like to warmly congratulate and express my gratitude to the Mayor of Pafos, the Board of Directors of Pafos Aphrodite Festival, the partners, sponsors, volunteers, and, of course, the excellent artists who with so much dedication and professionalism serve this extremely demanding lyrical genre. As a result of their hard work, Pafos every September is transformed into an international centre of operatic art.

Let us enjoy the beautiful scenery and the enchanting experience that Pafos Aphrodite Festival 2025 offers us.

(EK/GS/KA)

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