Cyprus Mail 3 April 2020 -by Eleni Philippou
Wanting to support musicians, whose profession has been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, while also offering top-notch entertainment to everyone self-isolating, a virtual classical and jazz music festival – Virtual Sounds – is taking place this weekend. Say hello to.
On Saturday and Sunday this digital festival will bring professional musicians live from around the world into your home. For tickets visit www.virtual-sounds.com. Virtual festival goers will be able to enjoy classical and contemporary performances, workshops, masterclasses and interactive talks during the event.
Similar to an ordinary festival, concerts will be conducted on multiple ‘stages’ while fans will be able to move around the festival, meet the artists ‘backstage’ and interact with them. By purchasing a ticket (starting from £10) and becoming part of the audience, the organisers explain that you will be supporting approximately 30 musicians – many of whose careers have been put on hold overnight because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Virtual Sounds’ goal is to support band and orchestral musicians, and singers, whose sources of income have been negatively impacted because of event cancellations and postponements due to the coronavirus pandemic. Virtual concerts such as these will allow many of them to earn an income to support themselves and their families,” said the event’s founder Thea Paraskevaides.
“The festival will give you the opportunity to get up close and personal in a digital environment,” she adds, “enjoy the music, get to know the performer, ask questions about their careers and learn directly from them.
“The festival has been designed to appeal to all generations. It’s as close to going to a concert as we can achieve,” she added.
Performances begin at 7pm BST – 9pm Cyprus time – and run until late this Saturday and Sunday. The platform (www.virtual-sounds.com) for the festival will open two hours before the music starts to allow attendees to familiarise themselves with it and to interact with other festival goers.
“At a time when usual business has slowed, we wanted to do something positive to support our friends and colleagues,” said Thea.
Activities and events for children are also planned such as ‘buck dancing’ lessons and an interactive narration of Luna’s Magic Flute, complete with sing-a-longs.
Wanting to add to the festival experience and make it feel as normal as possible, the platform enables concert-goers to interact with each other during the event, so the organisers encourage people to invite friends and family and possibly have a glass of something to join in the fun.
Virtual Sounds
Digital classical and jazz music festival with 30 performing artists and 7 speakers. April 4-5. www.virtual-sounds.com. Ticket prices start from £10
