of the Invention of the Automobile
SYMPHO
NIC
of the Invention of the Automobile
SYMPHO
NIC
of Greek Independence
Audiovisual Work for the Cultural Capital of Japan
Marios Joannou Elia is a composer, academic, cultural strategist and artistic director whose work transcends borders and disciplines.
Blending artistic vision with cultural diplomacy, he creates landmark projects that interweave music, heritage and innovation.
Exploring sonic landscapes,
inspired by cultural memory,
woven into an innovative, holistic audiovisual work.
CURRENTLY UNDERWAY
Drawing inspiration from an ancient melody of the Kunqu opera «The Peony Pavilion», a form rooted in the Jiangnan region surrounding Shanghai,
the project reimagines this traditional art as a contemporary symphonic dialogue. The city itself transforms into both an instrument and a stage, with its diverse locations intricately woven into an immersive and cohesive audiovisual narrative. With over 250 participants and the support of 29 partners and institutions.
/ PRESS RELEASES
«Ode to Light» is a new work created for the city of Næstved. Staged in a spectacular setting where music, architecture, video installation and light design converge — and with boats carrying lanterns surrounding the performance — the piece will transform the harbour into a luminous stage.
Composed for alto, a 100-voice mixed choir and instrumental ensemble, the work turns the harbour silos into a living canvas, merging sound and light in a celebration of culture and community.
The premiere takes place on October 31, opening with the live concert and followed by the audiovisual experience. From November 1 to 16, audiences can encounter it each evening in two showings.
From Warsaw, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich to Moscow, Seoul and New York, his music has earned prestigious awards from both juries and audiences.
He received Germany’s «Golden Apple» award for the nation’s best cultural and innovative event and was celebrated as a Guinness World Record composer in Kobe, Japan.
Recognized by the highest institutions of Greece and Cyprus, the Academy of Athens and the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
He is the first artist to be awarded by both, receiving the Excellency Award of the Republic of Cyprus and the «Spyros Motsenigos» Prize «for outstanding musical achievement».
Spotlight on three works reflecting artistic range
and differing expressions of large scale.
Oct. 31, 2025
20:00
World Première
Næstved Havn, Denmark.
hymn for alto, mixed choir and chamber ensemble with a site-specific light installation at Næstved Harbour
Marie Borup (alto) / Ensemble Storstrøm / Kammerkoret Cantemus / Holsted Kirkes Kor / LandesJugendChor Schleswig-Holstein / Ida Poulsen (text) / Jørgen Graven Nielsen (cond.), etc.
Nov. 1 – 16, 2025
19:00 & 20:00
Næstved Havn, Denmark.
version for audiovisual media and lights at Næstved Harbour
Nov. 3, 2025
19:00
Holsted Kirke, Næstved, Denmark.
version for ensemble
Ensemble Storstrøm / Danish Chamber Players
Date to be announced
Kodály Center, Pécs, Hungary.
symphony for solo trumpet, mixed choir and large orchestra
Pter Solymosi (trumpet), Pannon Philharmonic, Pannon Festival Choir, Pécs University Choir, András Vass (cond.)
Date to be announced
Athens, Greece.
oratorio for soloists, byzantine and mixed choirs, traditional instruments, symphony orchestra and electronic sounds
Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir / Athens Mixed Municipal Choir / Byzantine Choirs «The Masters of Psaltic Art», «Ilissiotes Psaltes» and «Enichima», etc.
Dates to be announced
Shanghai, China.
opera of a cosmopolis
Zhao Jinyu (Kunqu operatic singer) / National Chinese Orchestra (cond. Qiang Wu) / Zheng Ensemble of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music (cond. Yao Qi ) / Jinqi Ruan Ensemble / Full Dimension Multimedia Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., etc.
Sept. 4, 2025
19:00
Limassol Historical Archive Centre, Limassol, Cyprus.
Scientific Conference «The Work, Ideas and Legacy of Mikis Theodorakis»
Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts / University of Limassol
Sept. 27, 2025
15:00
IGPE Salzburg, Austria.
International Polyaesthetis Symposium
International Society for Polyaesthetic Education
Nov. 15, 2025
19:00
European University, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Tribute to Solon Michaelides – 120th Anniversary
Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts / European University / Solon Michaelides Cultural Foundation
Jan. 30, 2026
18:00
European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Salzburg, Austria.
Colloquium Arts meet Sciences
European Academy of Sciences and Arts