İzmir arts festival opens with concert

IZMIR - Anatolia News Agency

İzmir İnternational Arts Festival starts with British-based orchestra’s performance. A part of the performance stages Re-Rite Voice installation program at historical venue.

The Philharmonia Orchestra has kicked off a summer of entertainment for the 26th International İzmir Festival with a concert in the Aegean city’s historical cigarette factory.

The orchestra played Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” from 1918, a post-war time in which jazz was just beginning to emerge into the mainstream. The story is a dark Faustian fable about a deserting soldier and the devil who eventually takes his soul. The piece is scored for just seven instruments: clarinet, bassoon, cornet, trombone, violin, double bass and percussion.

The British-based orchestra’s performance was part of the RE-RITE program, its digital residency.
German chamber orchestra Faure Quartet, Erkan Oğur, Derya Türkan and French musician Vincent Segal will also perform at the festival, which runs until Sept. 28, as will groups as diverse as Pink Martini, China’s Shenzen Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The İzmir Economy University Open-Air Show Center will host a different concert each night. On June 20, the show center will witness a concert less ordinary with a rock concerto by the İzmir State Philharmonic Orchestra. Produced by violinist Alexander Markov and James Remington, the event will feature Neal Coomer on vocals.

The restored Ayavukla Church, meanwhile, will host an Inspiring Romantics concert.

As part of their European tour to mark the 17th year of their career, Pink Martini is visiting Turkey for three shows in three cities. The band will take the stage on July 8 in İzmir as part of the 26th International İzmir Festival. The concert will take place at the Çeşme Open-Air Theater. On July 9, the band will move on to Ankara, where they will perform a concert at the Middle East Technical University’s (ODTÜ) Vişnelik facility. On July 19 the band go before an Istanbul audience at the Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena, where they performed in 2005 for its opening.

The İzmir festival is supported by the İzmir Culture, Art and Education Foundation (İKSEV), the Prime Ministry’s Presentation Fund, the Tourism Ministry, İzmir Municipality, the İzmir Development Agency and Konak Municipality.

İKSEV board manager Filiz Eczacıbaşı Sarper, İzmir Mayor Haluk Tunçsu, İzmir Development Agency Secretary Ergüder Can, İzmir Province Culture and Tourism Manager Abdülaziz Ediz, Italian Consul-General to İzmir Igor di Bernardini, Polish Consul-General to Istanbul Miroslaw Stawski, and İzmir Goethe Institute representative Özlem Günerli all attended the opening of the festival.