Burhan Öçal to play Turkish music with Baden orchestra

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish musician Burhan Öçal is preparing for a concert tomorrow.

Internationally acclaimed Turkish musician Burhan Öçal is preparing for a concert tomorrow with one of Europe’s most prestigious orchestras, the Baden-Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra.

The famous rhythm artist Öçal, who has drawn attention for his unique playing technique and the speed of his fingers, has undertaken projects using a variety of styles from jazz to alaturca, and from ethnic to classical music.

He will take the stage as a soloist in the concert in the city of Reutlingen and play works that he composed based on inspiration from classical Turkish music. Öçal’s music was arranged by Azerbaijani pianist, composer and arranger İlyas Mirzayef.

Öçal said he played the works arranged by Mirzayef for the first time in the northern German cities of Lübeck and Hamburg with the Hannover Philharmonic Orchestra. “The works were highly appreciated. The Baden-Württemberg Philharmonic Orchestra is really one of the most important ones in Europe. It is also very meaningful that this special concert is on the same day as my birthday.”

He said he and Mirzayef were also working on new projects to bring Turkish music to the world stages and that it was very important for Turkish musicians to perform their own music abroad rather than world classics.