On Tuesday 7 March 2023, the 13th Pancyprian Student Songwriting Festival "Marios Tokas - Kostas Montis" 2022-2023 was organized with great success at the Laniteion Theatre in Limassol. The Festival was organized by the Directorate of Secondary General Education (Music Review) in cooperation with the Culture and Sports Sector of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth (MPEY) and co-organized and sponsored by the Public Benefit Scientific and Cultural Foundation "Fotos Fotiadis".
This Student Festival, having already completed 13 years of presence in the educational cultural events of the country, has established itself in the consciousness of the public and the participants as an institution that promotes student creativity, highlighting the contribution of music education in the field of cultural creation. The aim of the event, as every year, was the creation and presentation of songs by students of Secondary General and Secondary Technical and Vocational Education to lyrics by the poet Kostas Montis, other Cypriot and Greek poets or by the children themselves.
More than 160 students from 30 public and private secondary schools, high schools and technical schools participated with their compositions in the preliminary phase of selecting the songs for the final presentation. For the presentation at the Festival, the committee selected thirteen songs, which were the creations of students from the following schools:
- Xylotympou Regional High School
- Kokkinotrimithia Regional High School
- St. John Chrysostomou High School
- Palouriotissa High School
- Pancyprian High School Gymnasium - Music Gymnasium of Nicosia
- Lyceum Archbishop Makarios C' Dasoupolis
- TESEK Famagusta - Avgorou
- Livadia Regional Lyceum
- Lanitio Lyceum - Limassol Music Lyceum
- Kokkinochoria Fotis Pitta Music Lyceum - Famagusta Music Lyceum
- Lyceum A' Ethnarchios Makarios C' - Pafos Music Lyceum
- Pancyprian Gymnasium - Nicosia Music Lyceum
For the organization of the Festival, The contribution of the teachers and composers Mr. Marina Panagiotou and Mr. George Karvelou with the collaboration of the well-known Cypriot lyricist Mr. Polly Kyriakou, who formed the jury. Apart from the selection of the songs, Mr. Polis Kyriakou, as well as the teacher and composer, Director of the Famagusta Music High School Mr. Spyros Spyrou, offered feedback to several of the participating groups.
The event opened with a special tribute to the memory of Famagusta Music School student Kyprianos Papaioannou, who lost his life in the fatal train accident of 28 February. The welcome by the Music Inspector Dr. Georgia Neophytou, was followed by the greetings of the Director of Secondary General Education Dr. Kyprianos D. Louis and Mrs. Ilona Fotiadou - Michaelides, President of the Board of Directors of the Public Benefit Scientific and Cultural Foundation "Fotos Fotiadis". After a short tribute entitled "Marios Tokas - Kostas Montis in a few words...", curated by Mrs. Adriana Sergidou, teacher at Lanitio Lyceum, the thirteen creations of the children were presented, leaving the best impressions and proving once again that today's youth with talent and creativity continues to inspire and seek ways of artistic expression.
The Festival closed with the awarding of honorary diplomas and cash prizes offered by the Fotiadis Foundation.
(IP/MB)
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