The late John Gough initiated the concept in 1986 of inviting outstanding young musicians to come to Paxos and be given intensive coaching in a broad repertoire of chamber music and to demonstrate the results in open rehearsals and performances before Paxiots and visitors of all ages. The success of the first season led to the formation of the Paxos Festival Trust in 1987 as a registered charity with the object of advancement of education in music and the promotion of the understanding of music to a wider public. The charity is non profit making, with a board of English and Paxiot directors living on or visiting the island, giving their time and resources for free. Most of the cost of the Music Festivals was borne initially by the generosity of its founder, John Gough, who organised and managed the events. Recently, the Trust has worked with renowned music academies, who bring their expertise and part of the funding. The Trust assists by raising major funding from charities and advises on the running of the Festivals. The Trust currently has a Spring and an Autumn Festival, each lasting two weeks. Rehearsals take place in the Lakka and Loggos Schoolhouses, with performances using the small stage in the latter for a seated audience of about 100. The work continues to grow in scale and quality each year, bringing more off-peak visitors to the island, many of whom return annually specifically for the music. The Spring Festival is run by members of the world renowned Ensemble Modern who run masterclasses in twentieth century chamber music for about 15 outstanding younger Greek musicians, most of whom are playing in Greek orchestras. The work prepared on Paxos in 2008 received excellent reviews in the Athens press. It forms the basis for 3 concerts in the Megaron in Athens in spring 2009 performed by “ERGON ENSEMBLE – Paxos Spring Music Festival”, a new music ensemble sponsored by the Athens Megaron and tutored by the Ensemble Modern Academy, baring the name of Paxos wherever it performs in the world. The Autumn Festival is run by the Guildhall School of Music and brings their outstanding students of many nationalities to study a more traditional repertoire which is performed in 5 concerts. The 2008 programme included work with young Paxiot dancers and plans are in place for extending this involvement. In 2008 the Trust raised a special educational grant in the UK of £10,000 for the purchase of musical instruments for the children, who are now being taught by specialist teachers in the Mastoratika Schoolhouse. It is hoped that this will lead to an involvement in future Festivals. The budgeting and funding of the two festivals is kept separate for clarity and financial control. Both of them are funded almost exclusively by charity, donations and sponsoring from Greek and foreign sources. The Spring Festival of 2008 was exclusively sponsored by the Costopoulos Foundation – which offers its financial aid for the third consecutive time – and the Greek General Secretariat for the Young Generation. There was no ticket charge, and the cost of the 3 Athens concerts is covered separately by the Athens Megaron of Music. The Egon and Boulgari families contribute in more than one ways to the realization of the Corfu and Athens Concerts. Nada Geroulanou is the power engine of the Spring Festival in Athens, coordinating all the parties involved between Athens, Corfu and Paxos, searching for sponsors and organizing press conferences and press releases. The cost of the Autumn Festival 2008 for 15 performers and 5 staff was covered by: Derek Butler Trust, an Anonymous Sponsor, VCT Trust, Paxos Festival Trust, subsidy from GSMD and the festival’s own ticket income. The Trast’s goals for 2009 are the following: • Megaron concerts 24 January (it happened before the preparation of the present text), I4 March, 5 May (with a major press conference at the Athens Megaron of Music with the presence of PFT board members and the Mayor of Paxos). • Spring Festival 23 June – 04 July (The Spring Workshop will for the first time act also as an audition for the choosing of the best young Greek musicians to form the new founded “ERGON ENSEMBLE- PAXOS SPRING MUSIC FESTIVAL”) • Autumn Festival 21 Aug – 03 Sept (with 6 concerts, the last of which will be a Greek surprise evening with the participation of local children dancing and playing music). • Continuing fund raising efforts for the realization of the Festivals and the financial aid of the island’s Music School. Further information visit www.paxosfestival.org.uk