MUSIC, POETRY & DANCE

3-5 OCTOBER 2025
HYDRA ISLAND GREECE

DISCOVER ARTCINEMA HYDRA 2025

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A COMMUNITY OF INDIVIDUALS DRIVEN BY SHARED PASSION

During ArtCinema Hydra and throughout the year, we see ourselves as creative catalysts - providing the support, resources, and infrastructure to collaborate with artists and creatives on ideas and projects at any stage of development, across all artistic disciplines.

Just as Hydra has long been a haven for international painters, it is equally a refuge for writers, poets, dancers and musicians, both local and global.

The island’s creative legacy includes renowned figures such as Leonard Cohen, Brice Marden, Charmian Clift, George Johnston, Giorgos Seferis, and Henry Miller and we are proud to honour that enduring spirit.

Over the course of the three-day event, we will highlight both Hydra’s unique cultural heritage and the richness of Greek and international artistic voices.

KYRAN DANIEL

AUSTRALIAN GUITARIST, COMPOSER & PRODUCER

Joining us for a special eight-day music residency is ArtCinema Music Patron Kyran Daniel -  guitarist, composer, producer, and musical director. Kyran’s career began on the world stage, performing alongside Australian Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel. His debut album, Per Se, became a landmark in the acoustic guitar world, leading to his acceptance into the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he studied under some of the foremost professors in contemporary songwriting and production.

After Berklee, Kyran built a stellar reputation as a songwriter and producer for leading Australian artists including G Flip, Gretta Ray, and Kingswood. His wide-ranging musical sensibility and exceptional artistry quickly cemented his place among Australia’s most sought-after studio talents.

Now based in Rome, Kyran returns to Hydra for a special residency and will join us over the ArtCinema weekend as our honoured guest. A celebrated artist whose work bridges sound, storytelling, and place, Kyran will present a live listening session of his latest album - an intimate performance not to be missed, made all the more poignant as he recorded this album at Hydra’s Old Carpet Factory recording studios just two years ago.

ABHAY DEOL

FILM & MUSIC PATRON

Acclaimed Indian movie star and producer Abhay Deol is not only bringing his latest film, Bun Tikki, to ArtCinema Hydra as a Film Patron, but is also generously joining us as a Music Patron. This time, he’ll be stepping behind the decks - just for fun - as a guest DJ on opening night. Recently, Abhay delighted fans with a surprise guest DJ appearance at a nightclub in Gurugram. Beyond film and music, he is also deeply passionate about the wellness space - more on that soon.

ALEKOS ROUPAS

GREEK PERCUSSIONIST 

Alekos Roupas is an Athens-based percussionist skilled in a wide range of traditional Greek, Mediterranean, Latin, Brazilian, and West African percussion instruments. From a young age, Alekos was immersed in Greek traditional percussion and participated in folk dance festivals while studying drums at the Municipal Conservatory of Ioannina. He graduated from the Philippos Nakas Conservatory’s traditional and modern percussion department, studying under Peter Kourtis.

Alekos has attended masterclasses with renowned artists such as Alex Acuña, Eguie Castrillo, Richie Gajate Garcia, and Misirli Ahmet. He has collaborated with numerous music producers across genres and performed worldwide alongside top musicians, composers, and singers. Notably, he recently worked with Gloria Gaynor in concert in Athens. Alekos is a member of the percussion ensemble Drumvoice and has taught multi-percussion seminars at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory since 2011.

JULIJA CASTELLUCCI

MACEDONIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE ARTIST

Julija Kasteluči returns to ArtCinema as a sonic patron. She is a conceptual and performance artist whose work spans the fields of time-based and spatial art through sonic, visual, and written forms. Her immersive approach integrates sound, voice, video, and spatial interventions. The veracity of her vocal expression stems from the distinctive timbre and frequency of her voice, through which she creates abstract emotional drawings, establishing communication with the audience in a continuous search for situational context. She explores the sculptural and emotional dimensions of sound, shaping situations as entities with singular contexts, compact structures, and ephemeral existence. 

YIANNIS AND PANAGIOTIS GAVALAS

HYDRA MUSICIANS

ArtCinema is honoured to present father and son musicians, Yiannis and Panagiotis Gavalas, whose deep knowledge of Hydra’s traditional music and songs has inspired much of this year’s creativity.

Yiannis Gavalas is a former shipping captain, marine teacher, poet, singer, and musician who has long been a dedicated guardian of Hydra’s musical heritage. He has actively supported traditional music gatherings for many years, including the Almond Festival, where musicians perform Hydra’s cherished traditional songs. Yiannis also fondly remembers Sophia Loren’s arrival on Hydra in 1956 during the filming of Boy on a Dolphin — and he beautifully sings “Τι είναι αυτό που το λένε αγάπη” (What Is This That They Call Love?).

Panagiotis Gavalas, a beloved local pharmacist, is an accomplished bouzouki player who continues the family’s rich musical legacy.

MICHAIL "MIKIS" THEODORADKIS

GREEK COMPOSER TRIBUTE

Greek composer and lyricist Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis, credited with over 1,000 works, is the dedicatee of the Ministry of Culture’s 2025 cultural year. Renowned for scoring Electra, Zorba the Greek, and Phaedra (partially filmed on Hydra and starring beloved Greek actress, Melina Mercouri), Theodorakis remains a towering figure in Greek cultural history. His international acclaim extended to Hollywood with the score for Serpico. Al Pacino, star of Serpico, paid tribute to the late composer, saying: “We will miss him, and we will remember him.”

Theodorakis was a three-time BAFTA nominee, winning for Z, and earned Grammy nominations for the Serpico score.

Photo Credit: Issey Gladston

JOHN L. HOLGERSON

For the past 30 years, John L. Holgerson has resided for at least a month or two each year in Hydra, inspired by Leonard Cohen, writing poetry and reflecting. He returns to Hydra as an ArtCinema Poet Patron to co-host the Poetry Breakfast and a surprise festival film about the life of a poet. 

His third and most recent poetry collection, Convictions of the Heart, includes a heartfelt tribute to Hydra and reflections on other places and people. John’s other two poetry collections are Broken Borders and Unnecessary Tattoo. He continues to write and publish poetry. 

Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, John studied poetry and law at the University of Notre Dame. Inspired by criminal law professor Robert Blakey and civil rights lawyer William Kunstler, he joined the Massachusetts Defenders Committee after graduation. As a trial and appellate attorney, John handled serious felony cases and argued before Massachusetts’ highest courts. These experiences shape his novel-in- progress, The Privilege.

POET

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