🎵 The Apple Tree

My father was a great man—charming, sharp-witted, with a deep sense of humour and a deep sense of duty. He held an important position at the Municipality of Nicosia, yet parallel to all that, music ran through his veins. He played the violin with quiet elegance, and his voice… oh, what a voice. He was the heart and soul of the Nicosia Choir under the baton of the great Mr. Mikellides.

Years passed, and I grew up with music quietly accompanying my days. Then, when I was seventeen, something unforgettable happened.

One day, a towering figure of a man entered our school’s music auditorium—the one with the grand piano gleaming in the corner. He marched in with purpose, sat at the piano bench, and surveyed the class.

“I want to form a choir,” he declared. “Each of you will sing for me, one by one. And if you play an instrument, declare it now.”

He was halfway through the room when it was my turn.

I stood up and said, a little shyly, “I’ve played the piano for eight years.”

He nodded, placed his fingers on the keys, and asked: “Sing the scale for me.”

I began.

“Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do…”

Then down the scale, “Do, si, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do…”

He paused. Turned and looked at me, peering over his glasses.

“Again,” he said.

I blinked. Again? I had been in the school choir for years and had studied piano diligently. What had gone wrong?

But I obeyed, ascending and descending the scale once more.

This time, he stopped playing. Turned fully toward me.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Mitsides,” I replied.

“And who is your father?”

“My father was your good student. Petros Mitsides.”

Suddenly, his entire face lit up. He banged his hands on the piano and shouted with joy:

“Of course! The apple falls under the apple tree! What else?” He exclaimed!!!

From that day forward, I was his right hand and the heart of our school choir. It was one of the greatest honors of my youth—to be recognized, not only for my music, but for the legacy I unknowingly carried.

Music, it seems, was in the genes.

My father passed it to me. I passed it to my son, who went on to become a celebrated film composer in Los Angeles. And now, my granddaughter is reaching for the stars through opera.

Whatever I didn’t pursue in my early years as a musician found its way back to me later in life—and it continues to blossom, winding beautifully through our family tree.

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About the author

Lenia Mitsides first studied law but chose not to practise. She married, worked in the family business, and raised a family. In her late 40s, music—which had always lived inside her—emerged powerfully. By the age of 50, she had released successfully two classical crossover CDs and after taking voice lessons in Cuprus, earned a performance diploma from Guildhall College of Music with high merit. Highest marks anyone ever got both in Greece and Cyprus. Her rendition of Rodrigo’s Aranjuez con mi amor earned her a Classical Music Award from the Academia in Los Angeles. She gave recitals in Cyprus and abroad and till today , she continues to perform plus she writes , sharing her lifelong love of music with audiences here in Cyprus.

Author’s Note: This is a true story from my own life. AI assistance was used only to help edit and arrange the text for clarity and structure. All memories and experiences are real and shared with love and respect.

All rights reserved © Lenia Mitsides

📺 Follow Lenia’s musical journey on YouTube: @operamanic

📺 Follow Lenia’s musical journey

YouTube Lenia Kallis @ Operamanic