Awarded the Silver Medal of the Parliament of Cyprus

The President of the House of Representatives, Ms Annita Demetriou, awarded the Silver Medal of the Parliament to the internationally acclaimed composer Marios Joannou Elia, who originates from Kyrenia, was born in Paphos, and excels as an artist, academic, and director of artistic and cultural institutions.

The President of the House conferred upon the globally recognized artist the highest distinction of the Parliament, as a minimum – as she noted – acknowledgment of his work, contribution, and ethos, both in the field of music and more broadly.

As the President emphasized, in a time marked by multiple challenges, the promotion of role models who honor our country internationally is not merely a distinction – it is a responsibility. Musicians, musicologists, and art specialists have, moreover, described Marios Joannou Elia as a creator of the monumental, a child prodigy, and a pioneer in his field.

«The awarding of the Silver Medal of the House of Representatives, the highest distinction of the Parliament, to composer Marios Joannou Elia – a distinguished creator with national and international accolades – constitutes a meaningful recognition of an artist who has made a decisive contribution to cultural diplomacy, leaving a strong imprint on musical and broader cultural developments both within and beyond Cyprus.

On behalf of the entire body, we honor an artist who represents our country as it deserves. He is a worthy son of Kyrenia and of Cyprus as a whole», Ms Demetriou stated in a post on social media.

For his part, the honoree, in his address of thanks, noted:

«With full awareness of the weight of this moment and with sincere gratitude, I receive the highest honorary distinction of the Parliament of the Republic of Cyprus, the Silver Medal of the House of Representatives. Your decision lends institutional gravity to my work. It situates it within the active core of our collective self-awareness.

The Parliament, as the foremost space for the articulation of public discourse and political responsibility, acknowledges through this act that culture constitutes an essential condition of democratic life. Art, when it engages in dialogue with history and the existential concerns of a place, becomes a vessel of historical depth and perspective; it interprets the present and traces horizons for the future.

Music liberates and is liberated. For me personally, it functions as a catharsis, through which I feel that each day I arrive at the place to which I belong, yet where I was never able to exist.

The honour you bestow upon me intensifies the responsibility that accompanies every creative act. It calls upon me to continue with intellectual integrity and ethical consistency, serving an art oriented toward the human being and toward the international cultural presence of our homeland».

Also present at the ceremony was DISY Member of Parliament for Kyrenia, Ms Rita Theodorou Superman, who described Marios Joannou Elia as perhaps the finest ambassador of Kyrenia, both in Cyprus and abroad.

Concluding, the President underlined that, given all that is taking place around us, it is our minimal obligation to highlight such role models – individuals who invest in education and culture, keep our history alive, and strengthen the will for progress, hope, and perspective.

The ceremony took place at the office of the President of the House on the morning of Thursday, 19 February 2026, in the presence of numerous media representatives.