Symphonic Nights to tour western Black Sea area

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

The fifth edition of the “Symphonic Nights on Campus” concert series at universities, organized by the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), will take place this year between Nov. 24 and 29.

Having attracted great interest in the cities it has visited so far, the project will continue in five western Black Sea provinces this year, including Sakarya, Zonguldak, Bartın, Sinop and Samsun.

The “Symphonic Nights in Campus,” which is also being organized by the Doğuş Group, will begin at Sakarya University on Nov. 24 and continue at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University on Nov. 25, Bartın University on Nov. 26 and Sinop University on Nov. 27. The tour will end on Nov. 29 at Samsun 19 Mayıs University. All concerts will be held free and begin at 7:30 p.m.

Three tenors and İdil Biret

The CSO, under the baton of chief conductor Rengim Gökmen, will accompany Şenol Talınlı, Ayhan Uştuk and Aykut Çınar, who are known as the Three Tenors, during their Sakarya, Zonguldak, Bartın and Sinop dates. The orchestra will also play with the internationally acclaimed Turkish pianist İdil Biret.

Celebrating its 90th year, the orchestra aims to reach more than 5,000 listeners this year in five cities.  
The concert project started in 2007 with a protocol signed by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and brought the CSO to various Anatolian cities. The aim of the project is to encourage youth in Anatolia to appreciate classical music.

When selecting the cities for concerts, priority is given to those where the orchestra has not visited in the recent past. The project has so far played in front of more than 21,500 students during concerts in previous tours in 19 cities.

The project visited Afyon, Isparta, Burdur, Denizli, Aydın and Muğla in 2012, and Yozgat, Nevşehir, Kayseri, Sivas and Malatya in 2013.