Countdown starts for Istanbul Orchestra’Sion

ISTANBUL

The sixth Istanbul Orchestra'Sion International Piano Competition, which brings together international musicians from around the globe, will take place between April 1 and 4, 2024.

The competition, organized by Notre Dame de Sion French High School since 2013, was launched at a press conference on Nov. 23.

The winners of the competition will be awarded $8,000, $4,000 and $2,000 respectively. Also, the winner will be offered to give various concerts within two years. One will be a concert in Istanbul within the scope of the annual program of the Notre-Dame de Sion High School Performance Hall, while there will also be a recital in France at the Lisztomanias Festival, a concert in Gümüşlük at the International Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival and a concert in Ayvalık at the Ayvalık International Music Academy.

The French Consul General Olivier Gauvin Award will also be given within the scope of the competition. Gauvin, who received professional pianist training in cooperation with the French Institute in Istanbul, will join the jury on April 3 during the semi-finals to give the award to the candidate. All prizes will be awarded at a gala night to be held during the closing of the competition at Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Concert Hall on April 4. Also, the Cemal Reşit Rey Award will be given to a contestant who will best perform composer Cemal Reşit Rey's work.

Mentioning a very long-lasting friendship story between France and Türkiye, Gauvin said, “Especially in the field of art and music, Istanbul is a place where important pianists take the stage such as Fazıl Say. I have been here for three years. I had the opportunity to attend and listen to many concerts. I think it is an important competition in this respect.”

The jury of the competition, presided by Jean-Yves Clément, includes Anna Geniushene, Denis Pascal, Etsuko Hirose, Gülsin Onay, Lukas Geniusas and Toros Can.

Preliminary selection of candidates will be made via DVD or audio-visual file. Another feature of this competition is the NDS Youth Music Award. In this context, a jury consisting of Notre Dame de Sion students evaluates the contestants with the competition's consultant, pianist Franck Ciup and their music teachers, and awards the NDS Youth Music Award.

The fact that contemporary Turkish work is among the compulsory works to be performed in the third round of the competition contributes to the recognition of Turkish composers on the international platform. In this context, since 2017, famous pianist and composer Ali Darmar has been composing an original work for each competition, and the winner of this section receives the Ali Darmar Award.

The deadline for registration for the competition is Dec. 1.