The Istanbul Music Festival, which is organized by Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (İKSV), is celebrating its 45th year this year. For 45 years, the festival, bringing together the best examples and the latest examples of classical music with music fans in Istanbul, has hosted 3.5 million viewers at approximately 3,000 shows, and this year, the festival starts May 29 and closes on June 21 with an "unusual" program.

The "Unusual" theme of the festival means classic music lovers will get to experience new discoveries, interdisciplinary and multimedia performances and shows that connect different eras and genres.

The 45th Istanbul Music Festival starts with the opening ceremony on May 29 at Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Hall with Andrei Ionita, a 23-year-old young cellist who won the prize at the 2015 Tchaikovsky Competition. The young star will be accompanied by the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIFO) conducted by Sascha Goetzel. Described by The Times as "one of the most exciting cellists of the last decade," BIFO and Ionita will perform Saint-Saens Cello Concerto no. 1 and the "Islamey and Rosenkavalier" Suite.

Anatolian Side Concerts of the Festival

The Festival Encounter series, which brings together projects unique to the festival from talented artists, continues to present a one-time experience that cannot be repeated. The encounter where the musical language of each artist will be intertwined with chamber music works of Brahms and Schubert takes place Thursday June 8 with Canan Park İmregün and Eva Barlas from the Süreyya Opera. The winner of the Aydın Gün Encouragement Award in 2012 and promoted to assistant concert maestro at the Berlin Deutsche Symphony Orchestra in September 2016, violinist Hande Küden; Fora Baltacıgil, one of the young generation Turkish artists who joined Munich Philarmonic Orchestra's double bass group chief as of 2014/25 season after his solo double bassist duty at the Berlin Philarmonic and the New York Philarmonic Orchestra; Gülru Ensari, the pianist who performed at various important music centers around the world, including Bonn Beethovenhaus, Zürih Tonhalle and Bozar-Brüksel; and Dorukhan are young generation Turkish artists who join this encounter from Germany. Dorukhan Doruk, a cellist who continues his education in Norway, will also join this encounter. Erkin Onay, a violinist who gives recitals and chamber music concerts along with his konzermeister duty at the Ankara State Opera and Ballet and Efdal Altun, a violinist who is a member of the Borusan Quartet and continues local and international concerts will be joining the concerts from Turkey, while Jano Lisboa, the viola group chief of the Munich Philharmnonic Orchestra, and Christian Poltera, the famous violoncellist who has given concerts with leading orchestras around the world, including the BBC Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Leipzig Gewandhouse are joining this encounter from abroad.

Chamber Music with Stars: Papavrami & Phillips & Guy

The festival continues to introduce the stars of classical music to festivalgoers. The breath-taking virtuoso violinist Tedi Papavrami, the legendary cellist and Rostropovich's protege Xavier Phillips and renowned Beethoven interpreter pianist Francois-Frederic Guy are joining forces one more time. This trio first got together for the Beethoven project in 2012 and was praised internationally and by the press. They have been guests of the festival before and are coming together on Tuesday June 12 at Süreyya Opera under the sponsorship of MMK Metalurji.

"Schubert Liedler" meets music lovers with a different arrangement

The 45th Istanbul Music Festival will bring together the talented Matthias Goerne, one of the world's greatest interpreters of Schubert, and the Ebene Quartet with their unique energy for a brand new arrangement of "Schubert Lied." The Ebener Quartet and Matthias Goerne, which recorded a successful project in 2016, will be accompanied by Laurene Durantel, the famous double bassist, the founder of the Academie de Contrebasse for a must-see musical performance on June 14, Wednesday at Süreyye Opera.

Discover Tomorrow's Star: The Festival presents its young soloist

While bringing distinguished stars to listeners, the Istanbul Music Festival also discovers young stars. "The festival presents its young soloist" section brings outstanding young musicians from all over the country and offers them a chance to perform on national and international stages. The project has been running since 2012, and this year, in national selections İris İçellioğlu, a graduate of the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory, became the winner among violinists under 24. İçellioğlu will be on stage at Süreyya Opera on June 17, Saturday accompanied by the Dokuz Eylül University Symphony Orchestra (DESO), conducted by Hakan Şensoy.

Enjoy unusual music at Hagia Eirene, the usual venue of the festival

A program dedicated to the works of Beethoven

A program dedicated to Beethoven with the experience of the London Chamber Orchestra and musical sensitivity of Alina Pogostkina meets with music lovers in Hagia Eirene Museum on June 1, Thursday, which is sponsored by Türkiye İş Bankası. Led by Christopher Warren-Green, the London Chamber Orchestra is the oldest professional chamber orchestra in the U.K., and along with an innovative perspective, they are known for their barrier-breaking mission. Pogostkina, who is sought after by festivals after winning the 9th Sibelius Contest, one of the most important contests in the music world, has a repertoire she has performed with leading conductors, including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gustavo Dudamel and Paavo.

St Petersburg Russian Chamber Philharmonic at Hagia Eirene

The St. Petersburg Russian Chamber Philharmonic is at Hagia Eirene two nights in a row. The first concert will also make reference to the theme of the festival on June 9 with Mercedes Benz Türk A.Ş. as the performance sponsor.

Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in World War I, didn't give up, and in a prison camp in Siberia, he worked on unique techniques to play the piano with just five fingers and became able to play chords that were impossible to play with five fingers. Many composers wrote for Wittgenstein, who rearranged piano pieces for the left hand. One of these works, "Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand," will be presented in a the strong, fluent interpretation by Hüseyin Sermet, who joined numerous recitals and played with some of the world's most-renowned orchestras and conductors throughout his 30-year career over five continents.

The St. Petersburg Russian Chamber Philharmonic will take the stage again on June 10, Saturday accompanied by Alexandre Kniazev, deemed as the heir to Rostroprovich. Conductor Juri Gilbo will mesmerize listeners together with the Philharmonic, which has a Russian style expression and includes virtuosos, Russian strings.

Meeting of cellos

The Cello4Berlin Quartet founded by members of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra takes the stage on June 11, Saturday at Hagia Eirene. The quartet invites festival goers to enjoy the deep, strong and esthetic tones of eight cellos with a program consisting of rearrangements of the most popular works of the classical music repertoire.

An extraordinary concert to discover the borders of music

The Geneva Camerata (GECA), consisting of young virtuoso musicians who got together for the love of discovering musical borders and conductor David Greilsammer, will join forces with the innovative and adventurous pianist Yaron Herman in "From Mozart to Ellington," taking place on June 12 at Hagia Eirene Museum. One of the most exciting jazz pianists of today, Herman says that the starting point of the project was "building bridges between musical styles," which has a repertoire ranging from baroque to the classical period, from contemporary music to jazz. Throughout the concert season the orchestra has performed with prestigious musicians, including Emmanuel Pahud, Andreas Scholl, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Daniel Hope and Christian Tetzlaff and offers interdisciplinary projects that harmonizes modern dance, theater, video and visual arts.

A premiere: 11th Symphony of Philip Glass

Since 2011, the Istanbul Music Festival has been ordering pieces from local and international composers to contribute to the expansion of the contemporary music repertoire and artistic production. This year, the festival ordered a piece from one of the most famous classical music composers alive, Philip Glass. The Turkey premiere of Philip Glass's latest work, the 11th Symphony, will be organized under the sponsorship of Borusan Holding at the Hagia Eirene Museum. In the second part of the concert, another Turkey premiere will take place. Norwegian siblings fiddler Mari Samuelsen and cellist Hakon Samuelsen will perform Philip Glass' "Double Concerto for Violin and Cello" with BOFA conducted by Sasha Goetzel.