Classical music to echo in Gümüşlük

ISTANBUL

The 14th Bodrum International Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival is set to be held between July 24 and Sept. 4. Organized by the Bodrum Classical Music Association, the festival will be in three different concepts this year. 

The classical concerts will be held in the centuries-old historical Koyunbaba Ancient Stone Pit while Jazz on Water and Jazz on Sand concerts will be on the Gümüşlük beach. 

The art consultant of the festival is Turkey’s internationally acclaimed pianist Gülsin Onay, who is also expected to close the festival, while pianist Eren Levendoğlu is the art director of the festival, which will host musicians from Brazil, Norway, Italy, France, Cuba, Russia and South Africa as well as from Turkey. Fifteen main concerts will be performed during the six-week event. 

French violinist Gilles Apap will be delivering the opening concert of the event and be accompanied by accordion master Myriam Lafar. 

The creator of the festival, Levendoğlu, will take the stage with cellist Dilbağ Tokay in an ancient stone pit. The same stage will also host Begoa Ensemble, Russian pianist Ilya Itin, Italian pianist Romano Pallotini, Cuban pianist Mauricio Vallina, Brazilian piano virtuoso Egberto Gismonti and flutists Bülent Evcil and Raffaele Trevisani. 

Jazz concerts and guitar recitals to be held on the Gümüşlük coast will start with Norwegian jazz artist Tord Gustavssen and continue with concerts by various bands including Emin Fındıkoğlu Trio and Alp Ersönmez’s “Yazısız” featuring Erik Truffaz. 

The Jazz on Sand concerts will start with the Erdem Sökmen & Hasan Meten duo and later host the renowned Brazilian pianist and guitarist Egberto Gismonti and South African guitarist Derek Gripper, a previous guest of the festival. 


Young pianists to compete for Ahmet Adnan Saygun

A biennial competition named after Ahmed Adnan Saygun, one of the most important composers in the history of the Turkish Republic, will also be organized this year, marking its fourth edition between Aug. 15 and 19 at Toprak Ev in the festival center. 

The deadline for the competition is July 15. With a project in collaboration with the Notre Dame de Sion International Piano Competition, the winner of the Ahmet Adnan Saygun Piano Competition will give a concert with the Istanbul Orchestra’Sion. The winner of the Notre Dame de Sion International Piano Competition will also give a concert at the Gümüşlük International Classical Music Festival. 


Masterclasses in five branches

The five masterclass program will continue every day during the festival. This year nearly 100 students are expected to attend the program. Apap will be the educator of the violin masterclass program to be organized between July 24 and 29. Tokay will give the cello masterclass between July 5 and Aug. 1, while Onay, Itin, Pallotini and Vallina will give the piano masterclass between Aug. 15 and 25. 

The flute masterclass program, meanwhile, will be organized between Aug. 26 and 31 and be presented by Evcil and Trevisani. The guitar masterclass will be held simultaneously and given by Gripper, Sökmen and Gismomti. 

The Guitar on Sand, Jazz on Water and the Gümüşlük Festival Academy (GFA) concerts will start at 8:30 p.m., while the Classical on Stone concerts will begin at 9:15 p.m. 

Tickets are available at the festival center, Gümüşlük coast and Biletix.
 
For further information visit: www.gumuslukfestival.org