Sounds of Cyprus is a cypriot orchestra co-founded by Elena Chris and Peter Douskalis in New York City. The group performs the traditional music of Cyprus in varying orchestrations and styles that both consciously honor the time period of composition and period instruments as well as perform with a modern approach. Elena Chris, vocalist and front person of the group, sings the traditional songs in the cypriot dialect of Greek, as well as in Turkish for songs that contain lyrics in both languages. Peter Douskalis, Music Director, plays the laouto, oud, mandolin, and guitar in the group, switching between the proper instrument as needed for the authentic and modern orchestration of the pieces. Concert Presentation Sounds of Cyprus provides a concert presentation of the traditional music of Cyprus that is interwoven with anecdotes and informative text about the history, culture, and civilization of the music, the island, and the instruments. The concert presentation can range in time length based on two program types such as: Art Music / Popular Music by Cypriot composers (1.5 - 2 hours) and Folk and Dance Music by Cypriot composers (1.5 - 2 hours). Program length and selections can flexibly range for any amount of time required or necessary by venue for a concert performance. Education / Workshop / Speaker Sounds of Cyprus offers a workshop component in its program where students have the opportunity to learn the history, culture, and civilization of Cyprus through music. The group speaks with students about the instruments regarding their construction, playability, and use in the cypriot repertory. The group also teaches about the cypriot dialect of Greek, its history in relation to new modern Greek, and its use in the cypriot music repertory. Students have the opportunity in workshops to interact with the orchestra members and engage in meaningful cultural dialogue around the music and performance of the traditional cypriot music. Sounds of Cyprus has also performed and spoken at TEDx in their speaker series