Kristia Michael is a soprano and a composer/sound artist from Cyprus. Completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Studies at ARTE Music Academy(CY) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Sciences- Primary Education at the University of Cyprus. Continued her studies at The Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she graduated with a cum laude distinction in the Master’s Program of “New Audiences and Innovative Practice”, combining early and contemporary music with Noa Frenkel, Natalia Pschenischnikova and Yannis Kyriakides.
Focuses on Medieval Music repertoire and recently started playing the gothic harp. Collaborated with Utrecht Early Music Festival (NL), the ensemble Ex Silentio (GR) , the First and Second Early Music Festivals of Cyprus, concerts under the guidance of Dame Emma Kirkby, the Festival of European Polyphony (Medieval city of Rhodes) among Marcel Pérès and 24th Axiothea Cultural Festival. She is the founder and artistic director of Sibil•la Ensemble (NL) and Ensemble Cantara (CY).
Regarding contemporary music and composition, she is interested in the research and use of extended vocal techniques, pure tones, folk timbres and performance art with a deep dedication to the collaboration with composers for world premieres, recordings, various projects and operas. Performed world premieres by the composers Yannis Kyriakides, Andys Skordis, Andreas Moustoukis, Samir TimajChi, Tasos Stylianou, Georgios Stavrou, Pedro Latas, Amarante Nat and Meriç Artaç. Performed as a soloist in the opera «Argos Sidiros» by Andys Skordis, «The Ugly Duckling» by Pedro Latas and the «LOST&FOUND» mini operas by Meriç Artaç. Collaborated among others with The National Opera & Ballet (NL), Opera Forward Festival (NL), K3 Tanzplan Hamburg (DE), O. Festival (NL), Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, the Center of Cypriot Composers at the 9th New Music Festival (CY), Arctic Trio Ensemble (NW) , Φ Faos Ensemble (GR), Dom Radio (RU), MusicAeterna soloists (RU, Teodor Currentzis) and Nieuw Amsterdams Peil (NL).
Recorded for theatres, music theatres, cinematography, the ballet «Spokes of Venus» by the choreographer Daniel Karasik at Point Park University (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania). The performances by the composer Andreas Moustoukis [«MNEME», for the opening of Dom Radio and «RESURGENCE, for the opening of his residency in MusicAeterna], the performance «PHRASES» by the composer Andys Skordis and choreographer Venetsiana Kalampaliki and for works with pre-recorded voices by Andys Skordis.
Her own works include vocal music and multichannel sound installations. Premiered at EPICENTROOM Festival (RU), SPRING Festival (NL), IMZ International Music + Media Centre (AU), the installation «Elian» at Dom Radio (Sebastian im Traum/ Musicaetrna) and presented at the State Hermitage Museum (RU) as soundtracks for Albrecht Dürer’s exhibition. In 2020 she published the album «Silent Lands», which was composed in collaboration with Andreas Moustoukis.
___________________________
Premieres and *Works written for
___________________________
Anomia (2023) by Yannis Kyriakides for singer, large ensemble, video, electronics
Limen VI (2023) by Tilen Lebar for voice and large ensemble
*Eve’s Lament (2022) by Nikos Galenianos for four voices and electronics
*La dame complainte (2021) by Cornelis de Bondt for voice and organ
All the stars / Songs for Ayelet by Yannis Kyriakides for voice and keyboard instrument
*Hydrochoir (2022) by Amarante Nat for three voices
*PHRASES (2022) by Andys Skordis for voice and electronics
*Mini-operas (2022) by Meriç Artaç for four voices and ensemble
*The Ugly Duckling (2022) by Pedro Latas for voice and electronics
*Now we send you this message (2021) by Yannis Kyriakides for voice, violin, viola, cello, double bass, bass clarinet and soundtrack
*SHE…NEN by Andys Skordis (2021) for voice, violin, viola, cello, double bass and gong
*Unknown (2021) by Samir TimajChi for voice and bass clarinet
*Nanas de la Cebolla / Onion Lullabies (2021) by Amarante Nat for two voices
*Impatient to Assume (2020) by Tasos Stylianou for voice, violin and bass clarinet
*Sacred Vowels (2020) by Georgios Stavrou for voice, violin and bass clarinet
*Letters from the Garden (2020-2021) by Andreas Moustoukis for voice, violin, bass clarinet and tape
*Gegenlicht (2019) by Andreas Moustoukis for voice and bass clarinet
___________________________
2022
___________________________
25/FEBR – “ÆR I” by Kristia Michael presented at the online exhibition “Through the Clouds” by BetterTogether
5-11/MARCH – Installation “The Writer Quadraphonic” by Meriç Artaç during Opera Forward Festival (NL).
11/12/MARCH – Soloist at the opera “The Ugly Duckling” by Pedro Latas, premiered at The National Opera & Ballet (NL) and produced by Opera Forward Festival (NL).
30/MARCH, 1/2/APR – Premiere of «PHRASES…» for voice and electronics by Andys Skordis at K3 Kampnagel (DE).
7/May – Live premiere of «Can we feel touch when we are made of light?» by the composer Pedro Latas at iii (NL)
16-20/MAY – LOST&FOUND mini-operas by Meriç Artaç at O. Festival (Rotterdam Central Station, NL)
27/MAY – «Three Voices» by Morton Feldman at 18th Athens Digital Arts Festival (Athens, GR)
3/ JUNE – Premiere of «Hydrochoir» for three voices by the composer Amarante Nat , during Hydromax Open Show at Foreland Studios (Arnhem, NL)
27/JUNE – «Beat Furrer is in love with Hildegard» performance with Nieuw Amsterdams Peil ensemble | Amare (Den Haag, NL). ~Works by Kristia Michael, Hildegard von Bingen, Yannis Kyriakides, Andys Skordis and Beat Furrer.
27/AUG Utrecht Early Music Festival (Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht) with Sibil•la Ensemble | concerts 12:30 and 15:30 at Janskerk.
14/16/17 SEPT «Night Tales» with the pianist Anita Tomasevich | St. Catherine Catholic Church (Limassol), Holy Cross Catholic Cathedral (Nicosia) , St Mary of Graces (Larnaca)
___________________________
2021
___________________________
23/APR – performance of Aria (1958) by John Cage at the former studio of the Resident Orkest/ Zuiderstrandtheater (NL)
29/MAY – SPRING Festival (NL), premieres of «END of the world» by Kristia Michael and «Can we feel the touch when we are made of light» by Pedro Latas
02/JULY – IMZ International Music + Media Centre (AU), premiere of «ÆR I» by Kristia Michael
09/ JULY – Premiere of the vocal duet «Nanas de la Cebolla» by Amarante Nat (NL)
07/08/10/SEPT – ARGOS SIDIROS (CY), opera by Andys Skordis with the conductor Zoe Tsokanou and director Thanos Papakonstantinou
17/SEPT – 24th Cultural Festival/UCY (CY), Medieval music concert with Ensemble Cantara
26/SEPT – sound composition in collaboration with Andreas Moustoukis for the installation «Elian» [Sebastian I’m Traum: opening of Autumn season at DOM RADIO (RU)] by Andreas Moustoukis
01/OCT – Berlin’s CTM Festival (GR), premiere of «Chronotopia» for voice and electronics by Andys Skordis
09/NOV – 9th New Music Festival (CY), concert with Φ Faos Ensemble with premieres of Andreas Moustoukis, Tasos Stylianou, Andys Skordis and Georgios Stavrou
08/DEC – The State Hermitage Museum (RU), Works «END of the world», «Silent Land» and «Desert» presented in the opening of the exhibition with works of Albrecht Dürer
14/DEC – pre-recorded voice for the premiere of «TE…TELESTE» by the composer Andys Skordis, performed by Nicholas Isherwood and Rami Sarieddine
Kristia Michael 