The old hoteliers who caught tourism in its infancy were usually people who wanted to contribute to a place rather than rob it, as is often the case today. A living example of this spirit is the Sofianou family, who in 1965 founded Leto, the first luxury residence on the island.

Hailing from lost lands, businessman Kostis Sofianos and his lawful wife Evgenia have set a high bar for quality, setting an example for posterity.

In 2009, he died suddenly, although the doctors of the Kouluriu Hydra hospital staged a real fight to save him. To honor his memory, his wife and children organized a charity event in 2010 dedicated to the classical music he loved so much, with the proceeds going to the hospital. Koulureio, an institution run by the Diocese of Hydra, operates flawlessly and provides medical care to the inhabitants of the island and the numerous visitors.

Sofianos was an avid violinist and was in fact one of those who noticed early and quickly supported the talented Leonidas Kavakos. His sons, Nikos and Alexandros, are also music lovers. Therefore, they thought about bringing a brilliant performer from abroad every summer for a unique solo concert, which is given in mid-August in the hospitable courtyard of the Hydra Metropolis. During these 13 years, big and promising names have taken part, and Kavakos himself has taken part in events that are always part of Theomitorica.

From Spain’s Pablo Ferrantes to Korea’s In Mo Young, Japan’s Mayuko Camio, Armenia’s Narek Haknazaryan, names are always on top.

This year the concert is scheduled for August 17, 2022 at 21:00, again in the courtyard of the Assumption Church. The soloist this time will be Timothy Chooi (https://www.timothychooi.com), who will come to Hydra with his Stradivarius violin, accompanied by an orchestra of 23 musicians from KOA.

Born in 1993 in Canada to Asian parents, he immigrated to the United States as a child. He showed early talent and attended renowned schools such as Curtis and Juilliard where he studied with great teachers, studying hard. He has received numerous awards and is considered one of the most promising violinists in the world. The program of his only concert in Greece includes: Brahms, “Hungarian Dance No. 1”, Tchaikovsky, “Serenade for Strings and Violin Concerto”, Bela Bartok, “Romanian Dances”, as well as “Continental Dance”. “Scalkotas.