Molyvos International Music Festival
brief information
This year’s edition of the Molyvos International Music Festival on the Greek island of Lesbos will take place from 12 – 19 August 2025 under the motto of CHAOS – ΧΆΟΣ.
On this occasion, the two pianists and festival directors Danae and Kiveli Dörken will present a multi-layered curated programme that explores and focuses on the different facets of chaos. In addition to three island concerts, three concerts in Molyvos and a children’s concert, the eleventh edition of the festival presents a diverse musical programme.
The Molyvos International Music Festival (MIMF) was founded in 2015 by Danae and Kiveli Dörken and is a unique project in the northern Aegean that brings together the greatest international young talents for a four-day celebration of classical music. The festival’s main venue is Molyvos on the Greek island of Lesbos. The small town, which dates back to prehistoric times, can look back on a long and chequered history. It has always been characterised by both European and non-European traditions and today forms the ideal backdrop for the young festival, which has set itself the goal of bringing the musical diversity of the world to life for the audience. This is another reason why there are so-called “Molyvos Musical Moments” in addition to the main concerts: musicians meet at various locations in the picturesque village, on the beach, at the harbour, in the tavern or simply on the streets for small musical interludes, transforming the village into a musical kaleidoscope of sound for four days.
By bringing together musicians of different origins, nationalities and cultural backgrounds, the Molyvos Festival stands both for the promotion of cross-border cultural cooperation and for active intercultural dialogue. Located in one of the main centres of the international refugee crisis, the Molyvos Festival was directly involved in the activities undertaken locally in 2015 to deal with the dramatic situation. Ten years on, the aim is still to support the islanders, whose livelihoods are now jeopardised by the huge decline in tourism due to the refugee crisis. The Molyvos International Music Festival is organised with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Athens and the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.
High-calibre companions from the international classical music scene will once again be taking part: The musicians at this year’s anniversary edition of the festival include Danae and Kiveli Dörken (piano), Petrit Ceku (guitar), Antje Weithaas, Hyeyoon Park und Florian Donderer (Violine), Georgy Kovalev, Sindy Mohamed (Viola) sowie Tanja Tetzlaff und Christian-Pierre La Marca (Violoncello).
At the festival, the artists can be experienced in constantly changing formations and, in addition to their musical work, naturally also enjoy the hospitality and beauty of the island.
Combining musical excellence with a strong social and cultural commitment, the Molyvos International Music Festival is committed to year-round educational programmes aimed at making classical music accessible to everyone and fostering the imagination and creativity of children and young people. The MO-TO Key programme was launched in 2017 to introduce children to cultural management and provide them with the necessary knowledge and understanding of this field. It is run in collaboration with the German cultural organisation TONALi and the North Aegean Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education.
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