The Cyprus International Accordion Festival is a cultural initiative that promotes music and the fine arts, highlighting the accordion as a significant musical instrument. Through concerts, seminars, and interactive workshops, the festival brings together musicians, educators, and the public, fostering creativity and music education in Cyprus, with the support of Cultural Services of Ministry of Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth (ΥΠΠΑΝ).
The festival’s concept is based on the cultivation of culture, the promotion of Cypriot and international artists, the creation of educational activities, and collaboration with foreign institutions. At the same time, it supports the social inclusion of people with disabilities and promotes sustainability by encouraging eco-friendly practices and sustainable mobility.
The festival also focuses on research related to the accordion, studying its history, musicological significance, and contribution to music education. In line with the principles of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth (ΥΠΠΑΝ), it applies interactive, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning methods, integrating cultural education into schools and promoting sustainable practices.
Its long-term goals include expanding collaborations with international festivals, attracting world-renowned artists, extending its duration, and enriching its program with concerts, exhibitions, and interactive performances. Additionally, it aims to establish Pera Oreinis as “the Accordion Village” and integrate the accordion into Cypriot music education.
The festival serves as a platform for cultural expression and education, contributing to the development of music and culture in Cyprus and beyond.
The founders
CLEOPATRA CHARALAMBOUS
Cleopatra Charalambous was born in Nicosia and studied Music at the European University Cyprus, graduating in 2010. She is a certified Kindermusik Educator by Kindermusik International (USA). Since 2010, she has worked as a piano, music theory, early childhood music, and Kindermusik instructor in various music schools and private kindergartens.
In 2015, together with musician Angelos Doukas, she founded Music Moments Studio, the first school in Cyprus to establish an Accordion Band, significantly contributing to the development of the instrument. In 2017, she co-organized the first two-day event dedicated to the accordion in Cyprus, featuring a seminar by Panagiotis Zafeiriou.
In 2018, she was the co-founder and co-organizer of the 1st International Accordion Festival of Cyprus, which continues dynamically until today.
She is an active member of the First Accordion Band of Cyprus, participating in festivals and seminars both domestically and abroad. Since 2019, through the Cultural Decentralization Program of Ministry of Education, she has organized educational programs and concerts featuring the accordion.
Since 2012, she has been a member and group leader of the charitable organization “Young Volunteers” and in 2019, she contributed to the creation of the Youth Group “Young Volunteers Juniors” organizing initiatives such as the renovation of the pediatric surgery ward at Makarios Hospital and the Easter Hunt for Oroma Foundation, supporting the community of Gongo, Tanzania.
In 2022, she published her first children’s interactive musical storybook, “Dion the Accordion”, in collaboration with Angelos Doukas who wrote the music of the book and illustrator Ermina Emmanouil. The book is available in bookstores and digitally through Read Gallery. In 2023, it was recognized at the EBG awards at Onassis Foundation, in Athens and was nominated for the Cyprus State Awards.
In 2024, the Ministry of Education approved the storybook and the experiential workshop “Traveling with Dion the Accordion” for presentation in primary schools across Cyprus.
Through she’s work Cleopatra Charalambous has left her own distinctive mark on the music and cultural scene of Cyprus and abroad.
ANGELOS DOUKAS
Angelos Doukas is a professional pianist and accordionist based in Cyprus. Born in 1986 in Athens and raised in Corfu, he moved to Cyprus at the age of 12, where he continues to live and work. He began his musical studies in Greece and completed them in Cyprus.
As an active musician, he has released two albums with original compositions as a member of TriCoolOre: “Oregano Infused” (April 2015) and “World without Words” (June 2017). He has collaborated with esteemed musicians such as Pantelis Stoikos, Dimitris Lappas, Takis Barberis, and Katerina Mina. His performances include music venues and festivals in Cyprus, Greece, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Slovakia, both as a member of TriCoolOre and as an independent artist Pianist and Accordionist.
In September 2015, together with musician Cleopatra Charalambous, he founded the Music Moments Studio, where he teaches piano, organ, accordion, and theory-harmony. The school is the first in Cyprus to create an accordion band, having formed a total of four bands for children and adults. In May 2017, they organized the first two-day event dedicated to the accordion in Cyprus, including a seminar with the renowned Greek accordionist Panagiotis Zafeiriou.
As the director and conductor of the first accordion band in Cyprus, he participated in the Accordion Seminar and Festival in Syros in August 2017.
In 2018, he was the co-founder and co-organizer of the 1st International Accordion Festival of Cyprus, which continues dynamically until today.
Angelos was the pianist for the choir of the charitable organization “Young Volunteers” from 2015 to 2023, which supports children with serious illnesses. Since 2020, together with Cleopatra Charalambous and other artists, they have been recording songs for the choir pro bono, with their own music and lyrics. He has participated in the Cultural Decentralization Program in 2019 and 2020, organizing workshops and concerts focused on the accordion. In 2021, he composed and curated the music for the musical fairy tale “Deon the Accordion,” written by Kleopatra Charalambous, which was published in March 2022 by the non-profit organization Music Moments Culture and is available in selected bookstores and online through the digital library Read Gallery.
Through his work and performances, Angelos Doukas has left his own distinctive mark on the music scene of Cyprus and abroad.
