Antalya is ready to host the 16th edition of the International Antalya Piano Festival starting from Nov. 17. The festival, which will run until Nov. 29, will feature international pianists, public concerts, masterclass panel sessions, workshops, seminars and various other events.Speaking at a press conference held at Antalya Akra Barut Hotel, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Menderes Türel said that the duration of the festival was decreased to 12 days from 22, due to a time lag as a result of the G-20 Summit. "As of Nov. 17, Antalya will witness a music feast. As the festival is an international organization we can also call it a piano summit. Piano veterans from around the world will come to Antalya for the festival. Music lovers should prepare themselves for various surprises for two weeks," added Mayor Türel.During the press conference, the festival's art director maestro, Gürer Aykal, said the festival will welcome a total of 120 piano students, which is an important step for the development of music in Turkey. "This year's festival is very important because the events will be recorded on video. The audial recordings of the concerts will be broadcast on radios around the world. These recordings will be passed down to the future and spread all over the world," Aykal added.The festival's art director maestro, Gürer Aykal, said the festival will welcome a total of 120 piano students, and is an important step for the development of music in Turkey.Prior to the press conference, 16-year-old pianist Şerife Nur Özcan, who suffers from a learning disability and learned how to play the piano about eight months ago with a special technique for remembering pieces, performed a mini recital for the participants of the press conference. Under the art directorship of maestro Aykal, many international musicians including Don Davis, Christoph- Mathias Mueller, Hiromi, Saleem Ashkar, Hüseyin Sermet, Nikolai Demidenko, Gülsin Onay and Martina Filjak will perform during the festival. Offering a wide range of musicians and performances, the festival will also feature free public concerts. The Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra will play for the people of Antalya free of charge.Don DavisApart from the concerts, panel sessions and master classes organized as part of the festival; the organization in Antalya will make a tremendous impact with the social responsibility projects that will be carried out throughout the event. The 16th International Antalya Piano Festival, which is one of the most significant cultural organizations put on by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, will bring people who have never made music in their lives together at the workshops and enable them to experience the joy of making music on their own. As part of the festival, music instructors will work with children for a month. Moreover, students will have a chance to listen to piano recitals via the "travelling piano" project that will visit schools all over Antalya. The Antalya Special Education and Rehabilitation Center and the Akdeniz University Chemotherapy Unit Rehabilitation Center will host various workshops and recitals. Under the baton of Engin Beslek, a stringed quartered concert will take place at both centers.Saleem AsikarPercussion training group KeKeÇa, which was started by Turgay Başar and Timuçin Gürer in 2002 with the motto "Use your body as your instrument and make music with your body during your daily routine," will organize various events and work with the children and people of Antalya throughout the festival. Body percussions, which are in the middle of music and bodily movements, will help hundreds of children to have a special experience. Children, who have been involved in music workshops in their school, will have the chance to show what they have learned during the piano festival.Martina FiljakChoir music instructors coming from all over Turkey, as well as Germany and Italy, will convene with elementary and middle school students in Antalya. Choir workshops will be organized under the supervision of Fabio Lombardo, Ahter Destan, Nikolay Merdzhanov and Tobias Hug. Throughout October, Ahter Destan visited various schools in Antalya and selected children who are talented, eager and have an ear for music. These selected children will work with guest maestros and form the APF Children Choir as a result of their musical work. The choir will perform at the Erdem Bayazıt Cultural Center on Nov. 26 and at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Perge on Nov. 28.Another choir intended for children will be supervised by Fabio Lombardo, Başak Doğan and Eren Kovankaya and aims to allow a creative space for children to make music together, as well as a safe space where children can express themselves and listen to each other.Tobias, the art director of an important acapella festival, will hold a two-day camp on acapella techniques and mouth percussion as a part of the International Antalya Piano Festival.Considered as some of the best young musicians today, Doruk Görkem Tokur, Giovanni Nesi, Federica Bortoluzzi and Canset Özge Can will perform at schools in Antalya and neighboring districts, as well as the Antalya Special Education and Rehabilitation Center. The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, which has initiated special projects for disabled people, will integrate young disabled people into the 16th International Antalya Piano Festival. Young disabled people who are trained at the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Special Education Center will attend the body percussion workshops and have the chance to listen to piano recitals at the education center. The workshop, which will be held by Turgay Başar, will enable children to play games and work on their body music. The workshop will also feature seminars on the content of the workshop and how these trainings can help children to touch upon other people's lives. Following the three-day workshop, children will perform what they have learned at their schools.