The Aris Choir was established in 1938 by the renowned composer Solon Michaelides, who remained as its conductor until 1956, when he left Cyprus to undertake the direction of the National Orchestra of Salonica, Greece.
In 1962, the choir made a new start under the direction of Marinos Mitellas, who was its permanent conductor and director until 2014 when he retired owing to health reasons. In 1914 the direction of the choir was undertaken by maestro Dr. Solon Kladas.
Since the day of its inauguration the Choir has been dealing with quality music. With a wide repertoire that includes all kinds of choral music, ranging from classical to folkloric, the choir has held numerous performances not only all over Cyprus, but abroad as well, with public and critics giving it raving reviews. The Aris Choir of Limassol has succeeded in being considered as an all encompassing musical group, if not the best Choir in Cyprus today.
The Choir has performed in Greece, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, France, Austria, Belgium, Holland, where it participated in the famous Festival of Choral Music in Arnhem and the United Kingdom, where it participated in the world famous Wales Llangollen Eistedffod. Other renowned festivals where it participated were those of Argos Orestiko, Argos of Korinthia region, Agria Volos as well as the festival of Slovenj Gradec in Slovenia, Gaude Cantem of Bielsko Biala in Poland and the festival of Classical music in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic. In August 2019 the choir participated in the International choral festival ” Singing World” of St. Petersburg. It gave two concerts and took part in the ” Folklore music ” contest, where it won third prize among fifteen contesters and was awarded a special prize for the conservation of tradition and a prize for musical performance.
The Choir has participated in two very important choral masterpieces of the Greek composer Yiannis Markopoulos in his “Free Besieged” (Ελεύθεροι Πολιορκημένοι) and “The Orpheus’ Liturgy” (ηΛειτουργίατουΟρφέα), which have also been performed in Vienna, Paris, Brussels, Utrecht, Bruge, Athens (three times at the Palace of Music – ΜέγαροΜουσικής) and Salonica. “ The Liturgy of Orpheus” was recorded live in Vienna.
During its long life span, the Choir has had the privilege to perform with many music ensembles, pianists, soloists, state and other orchestras, conductors and choirs. It has worked amongst others, with the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Bonn, singing Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” in Bonn, Amsterdam and Cyprus, the opera “Fidelio” in Cyprus, and Orf’s “ Carmina Burana”, with the State Orchestra of Salonica, the Symphony Orchestra of Athens Municipality and ERT (Greek National Television and Radio), the “Palintonos Harmony” Orchestra, the Mikis Theodorakis Popular Orchestra, the Mandolinen-orcestra of Niederkassel , Germany and the Cyprus Symhony Youth Orchestra. It has also performed with the baritone Pieris Zarmas and with conductors such as Tamara Brooks, Horst Noeman, Emil Platen, Alkis Baltas, Giorgos Kotsonis, Michalis Rozakis, Mikis Theodorakis, Yiannis Markopoulos, Marios Tokas, Bambis Pramateftakis, Ayis Ioannides, Martinos Tyrimos and Stamatis Spanoudakis.
The latest collaboration of the choir and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra was with the performances of the operetta “ Vaftistikos” under the direction of George Aravides and M. Theodorakis’ “ Pnevmatiko Emvatirio” under the direction of Alkis Baltas.
The Choir has recorded four albums and three cd’s with works of Cypriot and Greek composers. A recent recording is the “Orpheus’ Liturgy” which is one of Yiannis Markopoulos’ recent works. Its latest cd was made in summer 2006 with the cooperation of The Mandolinen-Orchestra of Niederkassel, which was recorded live during a concert at the Limassol Municipal Garden Theatre.
In 2004 the choir participated in the opera “ Katerina Cornaro” of Donizetti which was held in Nicosia under the direction of Ayis Ioannides.
Among the choir’s regular activities is its participation in the Sunday Service once a month.
