Berlin Philharmonic takes stage for İKSV

Tuba Parlak - ISTANBUL

Celebrated cellist Efe Baltacıgil and his successful double-bassist brother Fora Baltacıgil collaborated with the grand orchestra in the first half of the concert.

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) hosted a special concert by the Berlin Philharmonic Sept. 27 as part of the organization’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Celebrated Turkish cellist Efe Baltacıgil and his successful double-bassist brother Fora Baltacıgil collaborated with the grand orchestra in the first half of the concert as soloists. Their repertoire featured Franz Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony,” and Giovanni Bottesini’s “Gran Duo Concertante” for violin, double bass and orchestra. The concert’s second half featured Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

The performance will be repeated in the western province of İzmir tonight, at the ancient theater in Efes, hosted by the İzmir Foundation for Culture and Arts. The ancient venue, which has been closed to stage performances for about four years due to continuing archaeological excavation and restoration work, is being used for the occasion with special permission from the Culture Ministry.

Despite the beauty of the music and the enchanting quality of the performances, Thursday night’s concert has once more raised questions about Istanbul’s urgent need for a properly scaled concert venue, because the acoustics in the Haliç Congress Center were far from appropriate, greatly compromising enjoyment of the concert for those in the back rows.

Before the concert, İKSV hosted a press conference with Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay to honor its chief sponsors. Speaking at the press conference after being presented with a plaque Minister Günay said it should have been İKSV that was presented with a plaque for its 40 years of contributions to the Turkish art and culture scene. The sponsors received their plaques from the minister and İKSV Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı.