Kyrenia Opera's "Zeibekiko tou Miki" enchanted the Hellenes at Flushing

The tribute was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Greek composer, politician and activist Mikis Theodorakis.

The tribute featured at least two generations of performers and musicians, as well as Mara and Anikitos Giannoudis, the two children of the founder and general director of the Kyrenia Opera, conductor Konstantinos Giannoudis.

And it was one of the few tributes of its kind, where the diners joined their voices with the soloists and the choir and performed the “Song of Foreignness” by Mikis Theodorakis with lyrics by Errikos Thalassinos.

The lyrics “Moon, you have cast a spell on me, and I walk, and I walk in foreign lands, The house is orphaned, orphaned, the dusk is unbearable…” were projected on the giant screens and the two hundred and more diaspora members sang.

The founder and general manager of the Kyrenia Opera, Mr. Giannoudis, welcomed the guests and handed over the baton to Mara Giannoudis, who briefly reviewed the gravitous legacy of the great and inimitable Mikis Theodorakis and then introduced the concert's protagonists.

His son, Anikitos Giannoudis performed songs on his own and with the soloist of the evening, folk singer Angeliki Psoni and the accompaniment of the orchestra and choir, they stole the hearts of the Greek Americans present.

Mr. Giannoudis referred to the offer of the Kyrenia Opera and the concerts they organize in America, Vienna and Cyprus, as well as the educational programs and the scholarship program.

At the same time, he expressed his gratitude for the organizing committee and the sponsors of the event.

Greetings were delivered by the Consuls General of Greece and the Republic of Cyprus in New York, Ms. Ifigenia Kanara and Kyriakos Pogiatzis, respectively, as well as the President of the Pancyprian Association and PSEKA, Mr. Philip Christopher.

Mr. Philip Christopher congratulated Konstantinos Giannoudis who started from the Pancyprian Choir and in 2012 founded the Kyrenia Opera to remind everyone that Kyrenia is deeply rooted in our hearts and souls and that the dream of returning to a free Kyrenia is the driving force and the flag of the struggle of the diaspora for the freedom of Cyprus.

The event was attended by the priestly superior of St. Demetrius in Astoria, Fr. Anargyros Stavropoulos, who represented and conveyed the message of the Archbishop of America, Mr. Elpidophoros, the priestly superior of the Ascension community in Fairview, Fr. Christos Pappas, the priestly superior of the Holy Cross in Whitestone, Fr. Nikolaos Paros, and the priestly superior of the St. George community in Manhattan, Fr. Michael Giavris.