Istanbul to host a feast of classical music

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Arts and Culture (İKSV) and sponsored by Borusan Holding, the 43rd Istanbul Music Festival will begin at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center on May 31 with an opening ceremony and concert, and continue until June 29. With the theme: "Cultural Landscapes," the festival will host nearly 600 local and international artists, including Yuri Bashmet, Fazıl Say, Gidon Kremer, Yuja Wang, Magdalena Kozena and Emmanuelle Haim, at 12 different venues across Istanbul. Moreover, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen will give two exclusive concerts as this year's festival's resident guest orchestra.

During the opening ceremony, Professor Filiz Ali will be presented a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Turkish cultural and artistic life by making polyphonic Western music widespread in Turkey and for her efforts as a musicologist and teacher for more than 50 years. As part of the festival, Ayvalık International Music Academy, which was founded by Ali, will perform at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua on June 6.

Following the opening ceremony, violinist and conductor Hasan Niyazi Tura's composition, which was commissioned by the festival, will make its world premiere. Composed by Tura and dedicated to the centenary of the Battle of Gallipoli as well as his grandfather, a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign, the composition titled "Şehidin Türküsü" (The Song of the Martyr) will be performed by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Sascha Goetzel and accompanied by tenor Serkan Bodur. Afterward, the orchestra will accompany the 18-year-old, international award-winning pianist Can Çakmur who will perform Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2." Toward the end of the concert, Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," which will make a reference to the festival's theme, will be performed by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. People who want to watch the opening ceremony of the festival can purchase tickets from Biletix and İKSV. The opening ceremony and concerts will also be broadcast live and online at muzik.iksv.org/tr and vodafone.com.tr/red thanks to contributions by İKSV's official communications sponsor Vodafone.

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra's 12 cellists



Known as "Die Welt" or "The Glorious 12," 12 cellist form the cellist group of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - one of the most significant orchestras in the world - will kick off the concert series at the Hagia Irene Museum on June 1. The concert program ranges from Bach to French chansons and will also feature the Turkish premiere of the Germany-based Turkish composer and Cemal Reşit Rey student Tayfun Erdem's "March of the Blue Butterflies." The 12 cellists have regularly given concerts as an ensemble since 1972 even though its members have changed throughout the years.

When: June 1

Where: Hagia Irene Museum

Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica



Winner of 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Istanbul Music Festival and Grammy Award-winner Gidon Kremer will offer an extraordinary concert experience. Kremer has worked with the most famous orchestras and artists in the world for more than 40 years and his much-acclaimed ensemble, Kremerata Baltica, perform works from from Piazzolla to Philip Glass on June 2 at the Lütfi Kırdar Conference and Exhibition Center. Piazzolla's "The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires" and Raskatov's "Seasons Digest" will make their Turkish debut during the concert. Kremer, who has won many international awards with his more than 120 studio albums, founded his ensemble Kremerata Baltica with young and talented musicians from the Baltics in 1997. He then gained global fame thanks to his creative approach. He and his ensemble have performed with artists such as Arvo Part, Giya Kancheli, Peteris Vasks and Alexander Raskatov. Kremer and Kremarata Baltica previously performed as part of the Istanbul Music Festival in 2011. Known as the composer of the acclaimed soundtracks of "The Truman Show," "The Hours" and "The Illusionist," Glass will perform his "American Four Seasons" accompanied by video installations produced by multimedia artists such as Jonas Mekas - the legendary filmmaker, poet and artist who has often been called "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema." The second Turkish premiere of this special night will feature Mieczyslaw Weinberg's "Chamber Symphony No. 1, Op. 145." Also, a pre-concert talk by conductor Cem Mansur will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

When: June 2

Where: Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center

Borodin Quartet

The Borodin Quartet is coming to Istanbul as part of its world tour to celebrate the quartet's 70th year. Seen as one of the best quartets for its technical excellence and richness of musical tone, the Borodin Quartet will perform at the Hagia Irene Museum on June 4. Virtuoso pianist Boris Berezovsky, who has been described as "the truest successor to the great Russian pianists" by Gramophone magazine, will accompany the quartet with an engaging repertoire. Prior to the concert, the Borodin Quartet will be presented a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sponsored by Global Yatırım Holding, the concert will offer the audience the chance to reflect on the remarkable continuity of the ensemble's aesthetic values and the dedication of its members. They will perform Antonin Dvorak's piano quintets reflecting the composer's admiration of Czech folk music. Founded in 1945, the Borodin Quartet has won numerous awards including the Gramophone Classical Music Award. Featuring members who graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, the quartet has a formidable repertoire ranging from Beethoven and Mozart to Stravinsky and Shostakovich. Berezovsky has been called the most interesting Russian pianist since Soviet pianist Emil Gilels. Since he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Berezovsky's discography has been decorated with many international awards including the Echo Klassik, Choc de la Musique, Diapason d'Or and BBC Music Magazine award. He has performed with many prestigious orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Mariinsky Orchestra.

When: June 4

Where: Hagia Irene Museum