1st Istanbul Music Festival goes to print with Ozan Sağdıç’s photos

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Speaking at the book launch meeting, İKSV Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı said the making of the book had happened in a surprising way.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) has published a photography book covering the first ever Istanbul Music Festival, as part of its special 40th anniversary projects. The photographs in “The 1st Istanbul Festival through the Lens of Ozan Sağdıç” are from accomplished photo-journalist Sağdıç’s personal archive.

İKSV organized the first festival in 1973. Sağdıç photographed the rehearsals and the concerts taking place through the whole run of the festival, between June 21 and July 15. He is said to have documented the festival at his own will and not for professional purposes, and these photographs have never been seen before.

‘It happened in a surprising way’

Speaking at the book launch meeting, İKSV Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı said the making of the book had happened in a surprising way. “We learned about the archive while we were planning what we could do to mark the 40th anniversary. I am sure he also did not know at the time that these photographs would turn into something like this.”

Sağdıç confirmed this, adding that he did not cover the first festival because he had been asked to by a publisher, but because he “felt at the time that this first festival would be the beginning of a history.”
The book project started with an idea from music writer Serhan Yedig, who is also a member of the Istanbul Music Festival Advisory Board, while the whole institution was engaged in devising book project to mark the 40th year.

The book is edited by Didem Ermiş and İlkay Barut and the graphic design was done by Bülent Erkmen. “The 1st Istanbul Festival through the Lens of Ozan Sağdıç” opens with an interview with Sağdıç, published in both English and Turkish.

The interview focuses on the processes that brought Sağdıç from Ankara - where he was based - to Istanbul, to document the festival. The book contains photographs from 24 different events that took place within the scope of the festival, including the opening concert, the Yunus Emre Oratorio performed by the State Opera Choir and Orchestra under the baton of Robert Wagner, as well as rehearsals and behind the scene footage. The book will be on shelves at the İKSV Design Store and a select list of book stores as of today, at a price of 90 Turkish Liras.