Words of Silence - International Festival of Nicosia 2026

One of the most distinctive musical creators of his generation, a virtuoso oud player and deep connoisseur of the musical traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean, presents his album at the Cyprus Museum.

Yiannis Koutis belongs to the rare category of musicians who combine the virtuosity of the performer with deep musicological knowledge and a constant search for new sonic horizons. Composer, oud player, researcher, he has dedicated his career to the creative meeting of the musical traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean with contemporary artistic expression.

Rooted in Cyprus yet with his gaze set on a wider geographical and cultural horizon, Koutis has travelled and collaborated with important musicians from Europe, the Middle East and beyond, forging a personal musical idiom that transcends borders and categories. His music draws on the Byzantine and Ottoman traditions, the music of the Eastern Mediterranean, improvisation and contemporary composition, while remaining deeply connected to the memory, landscapes and sonic experiences of his homeland.

The International Festival of Cyprus invites Yiannis Koutis to present his album Words of Silence at the Cyprus Museum - an album distinguished by its lyricism, delicacy and its contemplative and mystical character. In his works, pauses and notes hold the same leading role and evoke the same sense of purity and truth, while nostalgic memory functions as living material for creation rather than as a representation of the past. For the creator himself, music is not an act of conquest but a moment of encounter with what he calls "the invisible face of Inspiration".

Together with him, two important international figures of music, Marios Takousis on piano and Markus Stockhausen on flugelhorn, form a trio that will take you deep into our lost memories.