Music Festival Hits The Road In Turkish Capital

- The 32rd International Ankara Music Festival, organized by the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation, will open on April 4. The festival will present more than 500 artists from 16 countries in 19 concerts through April 30.

The Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Symphony Orchestra - Turkey’s first municipality orchestra - conducted by Ender Sakpınar, will be in Ankara for the opening concert of the festival. So far the orchestra has received various national and international invitations, and will be appearing in Ankara with violinist Nicolas Koeckert as soloist.

The Chinese Hennan Museum Ancient Music Arts Orchestra is one of the most interesting ensembles of the festival, and will appear with its ancient instruments on April 7. The members of the orchestra are regarded as being among the most important musicians from China.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the War of Dardanelles, the acrobatic dance group Circa from Australia, which blends modern dance and classical music, will take the stage on April 29. Circa has performed in 30 countries since 2002. It will be their first appearance in Turkey. The Debussy Quartet from France will accompany the Australian dance ensemble.

Electronic gadgets are so essential in our lives that they can even act as performers in music, in the domain of abstract art. On April 8, groundbreaking robot pianist Robot Teo-tronica will perform Mozart’s KV 488 Piano Concerto.

This “perfect” robot claims that he can play the piano scores 100 percent flawlessly, and there is thus no need for human beings. Organized for the first time in Turkey, this concert will bring together both classical music and technology fans.

Cellist Daniel Müller-Schott will take the stage at the festival on April 15. He is a favorite at leading festivals across the world including Salzburg, Lucerne, Schleswig-Holstein and Vancouver. He will be accompanied by the German pianist Laurna Skride who has received numerous international awards.

London Brass, an elite woodwind quintet formed by the leading instrumentalists of the most significant orchestras of U.K., will perform on April 22.

Besides performing classical music, London Brass also has collaborated with popular music artists such as Tina Turner, Sting, Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams and Tom Jones. It is giving its first Turkish concert at the festival.

The Eric Alexander Jazz Quartet, the Borusan Quartet, and the princess of Fado music Christina Branco will be other highlights of the festival. Also, the world’s most famous child choir, the Vienna Boys Choir, will be in Ankara once again after 20 years.

The closing concert of the festival will be given by the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra, founded by the young conductor Orhun Orhon and his students in 2011. It consists of young professional musicians made up of the music students of Bilkent and Hacettepe Universities and members of Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Academic Başkent and Hacettepe Academic Symphony Orchestra. Ankara born, young genius violin player Elvin Hoxha Ganiyev will be the soloist of the concert.

Ayhan Baran Memorial

As one of the most important opera artists from Turkey, Ayhan Baran was one of the rare artists who found a place in the Turkish opera scene with his unique voice and superb technical quality.

As the Honorary Award Gold Medal receiver of the foundation in 2004, Baran is known as an opera artist but he was also a painter, sculptor, photographer, architectural designer and a senior pianist.

Bass and bass-baritone artists Burak Bilgili, Zafer Erdaş, Güneş Gürle, Tuncay Kurtoğlu and Gökhan Ürben will give a concert during the Ayhan Baran Memorial Night.

Ticket prices for the festival range from between 20 and 50 Turkish Liras.

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