French pianist hails CSO concert complex in Turkish capital

ANKARA

Internationally acclaimed French pianist Simon Ghraichy has expressed his admiration for the renovated CSO ADA Ankara concert complex in the Turkish capital.

“When I visited, I felt like a little child opening his toy, his Christmas gift. Everything smells new. This is such a privilege for me to be playing in such a beautiful place,” Ghraichy said.

He also expressed his happiness to be invited back to Turkey, where he gave a concert three years ago.

“I feel loved because if they invite me again to play to the Turkish people, it means they liked very much my first tour and are very happy about it and excited to share again my music with all these nice audiences here,” he added.

Performing many works, especially those of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, Ghraichy opened the concert season of CSO ADA on Sept. 7.

The French pianist also performed at the Istanbul Music Festival on Sept. 8.

After the inauguration of CSO’s new building by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, the hall opened its doors to art lovers in late 2020.

The building complex houses the 2,023-seat Grand Hall, 500-seat Blue Hall, and 600-seat Historical Symphony Hall.

The hall is located in the heart of the city with a view of the historical Ankara Castle and Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The campus has restaurants, a museum, and open-air spaces, making the building a meeting place for art and culture lovers.