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 has been its permanent conductor and director since then.
Since the day of its foundation. the Choir has persistently been dealing with quality music. With a wide repertoire that includes all kinds of choral music, ranging from classical to folklore, 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, classified among the best choirs 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.
The Choir has performed two very important choral works of the Greek composer Yiannis Markopoulos in his “Free Besieged” (Εleftheri Poliorkimeni) and “The Orpheus’ Liturgy”, which have also been performed in Vienna, Paris, Brussels, Utrecht, Bruge, Athens (three times at the Palace of Music – Μegaro Mousikis) 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 other choirs. It has worked amongst others, with the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Bonn, singing Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” in Bonn and Amsterdam and Cyprus, the opera “Fidelio” in Cyprus, and Orff’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 Mantolinata of Niedderkassell , Germany, and the Cyprus State Youth Orchestra. It has also performed works 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, Marinos Tyrimos, and others.
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 Mandolinata of Niederkassel. It 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.
In November 2005 the choir takes part in the 8th International Choir Festival, held in the suburb of Agria in Volos, Greece. This is followed by guest appearances in Italy (Rome, Cosenza, Bari), where Aris Lemesou performs church songs as well as traditional Cypriot songs, alongside the host choir of Novum Convivioum Mysicum of Rome. In 2008, Aris gives concerts in Banja Luka, Bosnia, as a guest of the local mixed choir Jedinstvo; and in 2009 it performs in several cities in North Italy (Verona, Sirmione) and in the Church of San Marco in Venice. Finally, it performs in Cologne, Germany, with the Nienderkassel mandolinata.
This year the choir celebrates its fiftieth anniversary (1961-2011) and it is organising a series of events with its choirmaster, Marinos Mitellas, who has been the lead conductor for the choir throughout the fifty years of its life. The first of these events took place in April 2011 under the patronage of and in the presence of the President of the Republic of Cyprus; it was dedicated to Marios Tokas, with whom the choir had had a lengthy collaboration.
The next event in the series is the upcoming performance of the operetta O Vaftistikos in September 2011, alongside the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.
Aris Lemesou has hitherto organised four European choir festivals with the participation of European and Greek choirs –the latest one held in 2010.
Among the choir’s regular activities is its participation in the Sunday Service once a month.