Words of Silence. A Concert at the Museum

As part of the Nicosia International Festival 2026, a special concert will be held featuring the virtuoso oud player Yannis Koutis, one of the most original musicians of his generation and a profound expert on the musical traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The musician will present his new album, Words of Silence . The concert will take place in the unique atmosphere of the Cyprus Museum.

Yannis Koutis belongs to a rare category of musicians who possess, at once, virtuoso performance skills, a deep knowledge of music history, and a constant desire to explore new sonic horizons.

He works as a composer, ud player, and researcher, dedicating his creative work to bringing together the musical traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean with contemporary artistic culture.

Koutis is originally from Cyprus, but his musical journey has long extended beyond the island’s borders. He has traveled extensively and collaborated with renowned musicians from Europe, the Middle East, and other regions, gradually developing his own musical language that transcends the boundaries between cultures and genres.

His music intertwines:

• Byzantine and Ottoman musical traditions;
• the musical culture of the Eastern Mediterranean;
• improvisation;
• contemporary composition;
• memories and soundscapes of his homeland.

The album Words of Silence is distinguished by its particular lyricism, subtlety, and contemplative, almost mystical character.

In Koutis’s compositions, silence and sound become equally important elements. They convey a sense of purity and truth, and nostalgia for the past transforms not merely into a memory, but into a living force capable of creating something new.

For Koutis, music is not an attempt to possess anything, but a fleeting encounter with what he calls “the invisible face of Inspiration.”

He will be joined on stage by two outstanding musicians of international renown:
Marios Takousis—piano
Marcus Stockhausen — flugelhorn

Together, they will form an extraordinary trio and invite the audience on a journey into the deepest recesses of memory.

“Everything that breaks through our walls and takes root within us does not belong to us. It existed before us and will live forever.”

Creative Team:
Compositions and Arrangements: Yannis Koutis
Flugelhorn: Markus Stockhausen
Piano: Marios Takousis

Ticket: €20
Admission is free for people with disabilities upon presentation of a valid ID.