Rondo Productions Ltd

Rondo Productions Ltd presents the concert “Hadjidakis meets Rachmaninoff” with Manolis Neophytou, Christos Fountos and Anna Avraamidou on piano and Robertas Grod on cello and Wolfgang Schröder on violin. The program includes works for two pianos and chamber music. The Smile of the Gioconda and The Lady (from the cycle Six Folk Paintings) by Manos Hatzidakis (arrangements by Manolis Neophytou for two pianos), Trio élégiaque No. 1, Op. 3 No. 1 in G minor, Suite No. 1, Op. 5 and Suite No. 2, Op. 17 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Date: 1/11/26

Location: Pattichion Municipal Theatre, Limassol

Time: 19:30
Duration: 90’ with a 10’ intermission
Ticket prices: €15 / €10
Ticket presale: www.ticketmaster.cy
Sponsor: Deputy Ministry of Culture

Pianist Manolis Neophytou has developed an international artistic career spanning four continents, with appearances in Cyprus, Greece, the United States, Argentina, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia, Hungary, Poland, South Korea and South Africa. In addition to his concert activities, he has taught seminars and masterclasses in Cyprus, at the University of South Africa (UNISA) and at the University of Maine in the United States.

In November 2024, Dr. Magdalini Kalopana described Manolis Neophytou, through the pages of the Athenian magazine *Critics’ Point*, as “a brilliant piano virtuoso, an artist of flowing technique and original musicality”, aptly capturing the combination of technical perfection and expressive maturity that characterizes his performances.

His musical career began at a very young age. He gave his first recital at the age of eleven, shortly before entering the Central State Specialized Secondary Music School of the former Soviet Union. He graduated with honors in 1996, having studied alongside the distinguished professor Rudolf Kehrer. In the same year, he continued his studies at the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow, with a scholarship from the Nikolas Economou Foundation, under the guidance of Irina Plotnikova and Arkadii Sevidov.

In 2002, he continued his artistic development at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with a scholarship from the Albert Russell Foundation, while in 2004 he was awarded a scholarship from the Greek State Scholarship Foundation, completing postgraduate studies (Master of Music in Performance) at the University of London.

From a very early age, he distinguished himself both as a soloist and as a competitor. He represented Cyprus three times in the Eurovision Song Contest for Young Musicians (Brussels 1992, Warsaw 1994, Lisbon 1996), after an equal number of first prizes in the corresponding national competitions. Among his most important international awards are the 2nd Prize in the Panhellenic Piano Competition “G. Thymis” at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (2002), the 4th Prize in the Senigallia World Piano Competition in Italy (1994) and the 1st Prize at the Palermo Music Festival (1995).

His discography includes the personal albums *The Greek Song Through a Piano* and *From Tchaikovsky to Hadjidakis*. The first one received particularly warm reviews, including from Mikis Theodorakis. At the same time, he has created numerous piano arrangements of works by Manos Hadjidakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Evanthia Remoutsika, Eleni Karaindrou and other important composers, highlighting new aspects of the Greek musical repertoire through his own personal interpretative perspective.

His recent appearances include concerts in Stockholm and at the Hellenic Centre in London, while in the near future he will appear in Zurich and Athens, continuing an artistic journey that combines international presence with a deep dedication to interpretation and the constant search for musical expression.

Pianist Christos Fountos was born in Nicosia in 1997. He started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 under the guidance of Prof. Miroslav Gospodinoff. At age 15, he was awarded the Piano Diploma from the National Conservatory of Cyprus with Highest Distinction and two years later he performed Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no.2 as soloist in his debut with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. At age 18, he started studying first under the guidance of Philip Fowke and then under Sergio de Simone and Martino Tirimo at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London with full scholarship. He graduated in 2022 with top marks and all the awards for excellence in piano. He has recently won the 3rd Prize and the Chamber Music Prize at the prestigious 65th Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy where he returns regularly for concerts and the 1st Prize at the Birmingham International Piano Competition this year. An active soloist, since 2022 he has performed the 4 Rachmaninoff Concertos and the Paganini Rhapsody as well as the Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos nos.1&2, Prokofiev 3, Beethoven 3, Ravel in G, the John Ireland Concerto and the solo part in Messiaen’s Turangalila with various symphony orchestras in the UK, Italy and the CYSO of which he recently won its Soloist Competition. He is also a dedicated chamber musician as the pianist of the ‘Waldstein Trio’ which appeared first at London’s Wigmore Hall and then in Canada (Banff Centre), Austria (Musikverein & Mozarteum), Germany (Beethoven’s House Bonn), USA (Weill Room-Carnegie Hall New York), Malta, Cyprus (Pharos Foundation) and regularly around the UK in the core repertoire, premieres of new music written for the trio and in many collaborations for the Piano Quartet/Quintet repertoire.

As a student he has been a Leventis Foundation Scholar, a P.Carne Fellow in Chamber Music and now staff pianist at Trinity Laban in London.

Born in Cyprus in 2008, Anna Avramidou began piano lessons at the age of five at the Musica Mundana Music School in the class of Mariola Charitidou. From an early age, she demonstrated exceptional musical talent and gave her first piano recital at the age of nine.
In September 2022, she continued her studies at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in
London under the guidance of Tessa Nicholson.
Anna has since appeared at important festivals and concert venues, including the Oxford Piano Festival and events organised by the Pharos Arts Foundation. She has received distinctions and prizes in international competitions across Cyprus, Greece, Germany, the United States, and Switzerland.

In 2023, Anna won First Prize at the 6th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Weimar, Germany, receiving the Grand Prix, the Liszt Prize, the Classical Sonata Prize, the EMCY Prize, and the Junior Jury Prize. In July 2025, she won the Cooper International Piano Competition in Oberlin, performing with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. In the same year, she was also distinguished at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, where she received the Jeune Critique Prize.

She has recently performed in Indonesia in a recital at the J. S. Bach Recital Hall, presented within the framework of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and has also performed at the Cadogan Hall with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Marios Papadopoulos.
In September 2026, Anna will continue her studies at the Royal Academy of Music with a full scholarship.

Anna has been a scholar of A.G.Leventios Foundation since 2022

Robertas Grod was born in 1991 in Lithuania. Started cello lessons at the age of six. He studied in Vilnius Balys Dvarionas Music School in the class of J. Veiveriene. He is laureate Prize Winner of national competitions such as the „B. Dvarionas“ and the „J. Urba“. In 2010 he entered Moscow State Concervatory in the class of Prof. N. Shakhovskaya. In 2012 he won the 1st prize at Kozolupov International Cello Competition in Moscow. In 2016 he graduated the conservatory with honours and since then he lives and works in Cyprus. Robertas often gives recitals across Cyprus and Lithuania, participating in national festivals.

The German violinist, Wolfgang Schröder [Schroeder], began earliest studies with his parents. In 1980, Ana Chumachenko became his teacher and played a decisive role in his development as a violinist. At the early age of 17, he won the first prize at the German state competition Jugend musiziert (Youth makes music) and subsequently a scholarship at the International Menuhin Music Academy (IMMA). He has performed together with Yehudi Menuhin and Alberto Lysy, both as soloist and chamber musician in numerous European countries (Barbican Center, London), South America (Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires), and many other. After graduating from IMMA , he continued his studies at the Mozarteum University of Music in Salzburg under Professor Sandor Vegh, and thereafter at the Mannes School of Music in New York under Professor Aaron Rosand.

Wolfgang Schröder’s solo career has included performances with the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic, Münchner Philharmoniker, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Czech Symphony Orchestra, Talich Chamber Orchestra, Polish Chamber Philharmonic, Kammerorchester Basel, Rubinstein Phil harmony Lodz, Salzburg Chamber Philharmonic, Camerata Salzburg, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Israel Soloists Ensemble, Athens State Orchestra, etc. He was also the artistic director of the European Community Chamber Orchestra (ECCO) from 1993 to 1995 and has performed a number of highly acclaimed concert tours worldwide. He has worked with conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andrey Boreyko, Daniel Raiskin, Simon Gaudenz,, to name just a few.

As an active chamber musician, in 1992 Wolfgang Schröder founded the Belcanto String Trio and from 1996 to 2005 has regularly performed as the violinist of the Trio Parnassus. In September 2001 the Trio Parnassus received the prestigious Echo Classic Award for their complete recording of Robert Schumann’s piano trios.

As soloist and chamber player Wolfgang Schröder performs in musical centers such as the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Vienna Konzerthaus, at the “Great Performers Series“ at Lincoln Center New York, at the Frick Collection Museum New York at the “Masters Series“ in London`s Wigmore Hall, at the London Barbican Hall, the Megaron Musikis of Athens and at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.

Wolfgang Schröder’s chamber music partners include artists like among others Wenzel Fuchs, Eduard Brunner, Charles Neidich, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Benjamin Schmid, Alex Karr, Cyprien Katsaris, Julian Rachlin, Janine Jansen, Daniel Raiskin, Ramon Jaffe, Levon Chilingirian and Gustav Rivinius. He also has been regularly invited to major chamber music festivals such as the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, Open Chamber Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove (England), Hopfgarten Festival (Austria), Moritzburg Festival in Germany, West Cork Festival in Ireland, Umea and Bostad Festivals (Sweden), International Music Festival Middelburg (Holland) , Euriade Festival in Aachen, Germany, International Festival of Echternach (Luxemburg) and Ojika Festival (Japan). Since 1998 he has been artistic director of the Camerata Stuttgart. Appearances with the Camerata Stuttgart include performances in prestigious concert halls like the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam, Megaron Music Hall of Athens , Liederhalle of Stuttgart and Dortmund Opera House.

Wolfgang Schröder has made recordings for MDG, Divox, Ars Production, Thorofon, Symicon and CPO labels. Since 2005 he is 1st Concertmaster of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. Wolfgang Schröder plays on a violin by Jean Baptist Vuillaume from 1857. Since January 2005, he is Concertmaster of Cyprus Symphony Orchestra