Clarinet festival in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The 6th International Clarinet Festival will be held in Istanbul between Sept. 8 and 17, featuring Turkish and international musicians. 

Serkan Çağrı, the festival’s art director, said at a recent press conference that the clarinet is only a lead symbol for the festival, which is in fact a broader and more wide-ranging event. 

“We will not limit the festival to the halls only. Istanbul is a very big city. Most of us cannot breathe when walking in many parts of the city. But we are giving chance to young musicians to play in these fields and in many sites of mass transportation. Our motto is ‘Istanbul breathes.’ We want to try to make Istanbul breathe,” Çağrı said.

He added that the festival’s “Respect for the Master” section would this year be dedicated to Müslüm Gürses, after previous years commemorating popular stars Barış Manço and Kayahan. 

There were many who did not believe in the project when they first organized the festival, but in the second year they saw its success, Çağrı said.

Arranger and producer İskender Paydaş said the festival featured great music, art and many other events, and he will join the festival with a team of some 40 people.

Festival

Organized with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the 6th International Clarinet Festival will feature workshops as well as performances at squares in Galata, Beşiktaş, Ortaköy and Kadıköy, as well as in various piers and parks around Istanbul. 

As part of this year’s festival, the New York Gypsy All Stars, Brenna MacCrimmon and Ara Dinkjian will all share the same stage on Sept. 11 at Zorlu PSM. 

Goran Bregovic will perform on Sept. 12 at the Bostancı Show Center, while the commemoration of Gürses will be held on Sept. 13 in the same venue. 

Algerian artist Souad Massi and Çağrı will perform at the Zorlu PSM on Sept. 14. 

The festival will also feature a clarinet competition for young musicians.