Breach Festival

Breach is a festival dedicated to improvisation and experimental musical practices. This is the first of its kind in Cyprus and is held in collaboration with No Ordinary Festival, in Greece, Irtijal, the largest and longest running festival in Lebanon and the SPACE21 festival in Iraq - Kurdistan.

The concept of "Free Improvisation" is a method of creating music without the requirement of a predetermined harmony or rhythm and without the binding pre-existence of a musical text either in the form of a score or any other form of normative blueprint indicating the development of the musical act.

Free improvisation seeks new sonic sequences and expands the boundaries of musical creation and thought with new and unusual combinations of instruments, new performance techniques, sound effects, and many other uncharted sonic territories, as well as the coexistence of music with other arts. Playing with other musicians in a free improvisation setting is possessed by a profound honesty where everything is done for the first and last time in the here and now. The musicians call upon their well-trained musical knowledge in performance and composition, their creativity and imagination, and active listening to spontaneously create a new musical piece that, unless recorded, is presented once and it cannot be heard the same again.

For the first two years, Breach offered a series of concerts paired with workshops in a 3 day span. For its third iteration Breach is expanded with the addition of a series of events throughout the calendar year under the umbrella of “Breach+”

Breach+ is comprised by 8 mini concerts and 1 residency program giving the opportunity to Cyprus' audience and performers to experience this musical tradition on a more frequent basis.