The
Festival is a member of the European Festivals Association
The Izmirian and
La Scala were struck with mutual admiration at
each other
The
world renowned La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra
born from the structure of the legendary La
Scala Theater struck the Izmirians filling AASSM
with admiration at itself in the closing concert
of the 23rd International İzmir Festival.
Conductor Myung – Whun Chung who proved that he
deserves all his fame, broke with the tradition
of not speaking with the audience upon the
unabated applause and amazed the ones who know
him by expressing his appreciation about İzmir,
the audience and the hall enthusiastically.
With the concert which started the 25th
Anniversary events of İzmir Foundation for
Culture and Arts, the togetherness of Conductor
Chung and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra was
also celebrated. In the first part of the
concert, the Orchestra performed Mendelsshon’s
Symphony No.4 ‘’Italian’’. Upon the incessant
applauses, Conductor Chung came for salutation
twice after the first part, which is not the
customary practice.
In the second part of the concert Izmirians
listened to a really unforgettable
interpretation of Tschaikovsky’s ‘’Pathetic’’
Symphony. When the piece was over, the applause
was so intensive, Conductor Myung-Whun Chung
again deviated from the customary practices and
said farewell to İzmir audience with Franz von
Suppé’ s ‘’Light Cavalry Overture’’ .
Ernesto Schiovi, the Artistic Director of La
Scala Philharmonic Orchestra expressed that they
are proud of participating the International
İzmir Festival, starting the 25th anniversary
activities of İKSEV and being selected as the
first foreign orchestra of Ahmed Adnan Saygun
Art Center while they are celebrating their 20th
year with the estimable conductor Chun.
Splendid final at
Çeşme fortress
The audience and Frangoulis could not separate
from each other
The summer term events of the 23rd International
İzmir Festival ended with the ‘’Mario Frangoulis
and Friends’’ concert at Çeşme Fortress. The
festival will close with the Orchestra
Filarmonica della Scala concert on October 18,
2009 after a 3-month interval.
The extraordinary tenor Mario Frangoulis who is
one of the most powerful voices of our time,
with his friends tenor George Peris, soprano
Eleni Lydia Stamellou and soprano Deborah Myers
enabled about one thousand people who filled
Çeşme Fortress to live an unforgettable night.
Frangoulis who appeared on stage in
accompaniment of his private orchestra saluted
his audience in Turkish and said that he was
happy to be in İzmir in İzmir Festival.
Frangoulis who started his concert with
‘’Aranjuez’’, sang well-known songs like
‘’Hijo’’, ‘’Vincero’’ and ‘’Nights’’ one after
the other. Frangoulis who invited his friends to
the stage one by one and sang together with
them, achieved to enchant his audience by his
powerful voice and extraordinary performance.
George Peris, Eleni Lydia Stamellou and Deborah
Myers were also appreciated with their
perormances almost as good as Frangoulis. The
four artists who presented examples from the
favorite arias of Opera literature and famous
musicals performed 22 songs. Frangoulis, Peris,
Stamellou and Myers who received a standing
ovation from one thousand people thanked their
audience with ‘’Cabaret’’. ‘’Ohi den Prele’’,
‘’Besame Muco’’ and ‘’Phantom of the Opera’’.
fter the concert, Frangoulis expressed his
feelings and said ‘’It was a magic moment for
us. We were honoured to participate in İzmir
Festival. The energy and love we received from
our audience was unbelievable. Frangoulis who
was captured in a circle of love by his fans at
the backstage, posed in photos with all of them
and signed autographs without being sick and
tired.
Secret Arias in
Asklepion
Antique
Asklepion Theatre of Pergamon hosted one of the
most beautiful events of the 23rd International
İzmir Festival, an extraordinary recital last
night. The famous health center which rested
souls and rehabilitated people centuries ago was
cheered up with French Soprano Leontina Vaduva’s
arias. The Noble Voiced Soprano Vaduva performed
the most beautiful works of opera literature
with accompaniment of Pianist Alexandre
Petrovici. The artist extended her recital for
about 40 minutes upon insistent applause of her
audience and sang six encore pieces in addition
to her program.
French Ambassador Bernard Emie, Consul General
Christine Moro, her husband Louis Moro, İzmir
Deputy Oğuz Oyan, Bergama District Governor
Ahmet Erkan Yücel, Bergama Mayor Mehmet Gönenç,
Garrison Commander Staff Colonel Haşmet Akyüz,
İzmir French Cultural Center Director Jean-Luc
Maeso, İKSEV President of the Board of Directors
Filiz Eczacıbaşı Sarper, Kadir İnanır, the great
name of Turkish Cinema, artlovers from İzmir and
Bergama attended the night named ‘’Following the
Secret Arias’’ realized with the contributions
of İzmir French Cultural Center.
The summer events of the 23rd International
İzmir Festival will end with the concert of
‘’Mario Frangoulis and Friends’’ which will be
made in Çeşme Fortress on July 20, Monday.
Mediterranean
Serenade From Filarmonica Marchigiana String
Ensemble In Celsus
The
23rd International İzmir Festival hosted one of
the premier groups of Italy, ‘’Filarmonica
Marchigiana String Ensemble’’ in Ephesus Celsus
Library. Carlo Marsili, Ankara Ambassador of
Italy, Massimo Rustico, İstanbul Consul General
, Simon Carta, İzmir Consul, Gennaro Esposito,
the conductor with two Michelin Stars of Italy,
many Italian businessmen and press members,
Italian citizens living in Ankara, İstanbul and
İzmir , İKSEV President of the Board of
Directors Filiz Eczacıbaşı Sarper and the
members of the board of directors , many
artlovers and famous figures as Azra Akın
watched the concert named ‘’Mediterranean
Serenade’’ to which composer and gutarist
Giovanni Seneca participated as soloist.
Simon Carta, the Italian Consul in İzmir who
said that İzmir Italian Consulate has closed the
2009 season with this distinguished concert
within the structure of the 23rd International
İzmir Festival, mentioned the positive
consequences of the collaboration activities
made with İKSEV and other İzmir institutions.
Carta said, ‘’ The Turks and Italians who are
very old friends with each other can achieve
everything if they want’’. Carta, who noted that
’Filarmonica Marchigiana String Ensemble is a
group famous for its selection of the
prestigious stages it gives concerts in Italy,
expressed that they were happy to carry the
sounds of Marche region to the Aegean. Carta,
who reminded that Ancona, the capital of Marche
Region and İzmir are sister cities, told that
the artistic collaboration reinforces the
friendship between communities.
Filarmonica Marchigiana String Ensemble started
the concert which they presented without
intermission with Rossini’s Sonata No.2 in A
Major for two violins, cello and double-bass.
The ensemble who then performed Boccherini’s
‘’Fandango’’, also played seven works of the
Soloist and Composer Giovanni Seneca. ‘’Adagio’’
from Rodrigo’s concerto for Guitar and strings
Seneca played with the accompaniment of strings
received a great applause.
The orchestra that was congratulated by the
audience with long-lasting applause said
farewell with a local dance. After the concert a
banquet where dishes prepared by Gennaro
Esposito, one of the greatest chefs de cuisine
of Italy were presented to the Italian and
Turkish invited guests was given in Ephesus
Antique City.
The 23rd International İzmir Festival will
continue with the concert of ‘’Following the
Secret Arias’’ in Pargamon Asklepion Theatre on
July 16, Thursday.
Yury Bashmet,
Shlomo Mintz and Moscow Soloists
played for Ahmet Piriştina
In
the concert of the 23rd International İzmir
Festival dedicated to the memory of Ahmet
Piriştina, Yury Bashmet, Shlomo Mintz and Moscow
Soloists who are all the world’s best in their
own areas gave a concert in beauty which will be
unforgettable for long years. The concert that
received a standing ovation from the artlovers
filling the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center
(AASSM) for long minutes went down in the
Festival history. Ahmet Piriştina’s wife Mine
Piriştina, Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan
Municipality, Sırrı Aydoğan and his wife, İKSEV
President of the Board of Directors Filiz
Eczacıbaşı Sarper and the members of the board
of directors watched the concert.
The İzmir Foundation for Culture and Arts
dedicates a concert of the International İzmir
Festival to the memory of the unforgettable
Mayor Ahmet Piriştina since the year 2004. This
year Yury Bashmet for whom dozens of
compositions were made, recognized as the
greatest music men of the 20th century who has
made viola one of the solo instruments, the
Moscow Soloists selected by Bashmet among the
most favourite graduates of the Moscow
Conservatoire and Shlomo Mintz who is recognized
as one of the violin écoles of our age came
together for this purpose.
In the first part of the concert which will not
be erased from memories for a long time, Shlomo
Mintz and Yury Bashmet performed Mozart’s
‘’Symphonie Concertante for Violin and alto’’
accompanied by Moscow Soloists who are described
as the ‘’Group of Stars’’. In the second part of
the concert the Conductor and the Soloist Yury
Bashmet and Moscow Soloists performed Paganini’s
‘’Concertino in A Minor’’. The last work of the
concert was Tchaikovksy’s ‘’Serenade for Strings
in C Major’’. The Orchestra which received a
standing ovation from the art lovers filling
AASSM for minutes, thanked with Albinoni’s
‘’Adagio’’. After the flawless performance of
this very popular work, the hall was shaken.
Moscow Soloists and Yury Bashmet said farewell
with Alfred Schnittke’s ‘’Polka’’.
The 23rd International İzmir Festival will
continue with the concert of Filarmonica
Marchigiana String Ensemble and guitarist
Giovanni Seneca on July 10 2009 Friday in
Ephesus Celsus Library.
From Haydn To
Mendelssohn In The Paradox Of Death And Birth
Ensemble Resonanz
Chamber Music Night In Celsus
The 23rd
International İzmir Festival hosted Ensemble
Resonanz, one of the important chamber music
orchestras of Germany last night (June 23rd) in
Ephesus Celsus Library. At the concert realized
with the cooperation of Goethe Institut İzmir
and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs named
‘’ From Haydn to Mendelssohn in the Paradox of
Death and Birth’’ , Haydn at the 200th
anniversary of his death and Mendelssohn at the
200th anniversary of his birth were commemorated
with their immortal works. İzmir Consul General
of Germany Stefan Schneider, Goethe Institut
İzmir Director Dr. Hans-Werner Schmidt, İKSEV
President of the Board of Directors Filiz
Eczacıbaşı Sarper and the German citizens in
İzmir as well as about 750 art lovers watched
the concert.
The ensemble consisting of 18 artists, started
the concert with Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s ‘’
Concerto in D minor for Violin and String
Orchestra’’. Ensemble Resonanz, in this work,
accompanied the estimable violinist Barbara
Bultmann who is at the same time their
concertmaster and conductor. Secondly, the
ensemble performed the work named ‘’Nonet in
Five Sections’’ Jan Feddersen who has a
significant place among the contemporary German
Composers has written for themselves in the year
2007 also with a great success. Bernd Alois
Zimmermann’s work named ‘’ Concerto for String
Orchestra’’ included in the program again gained
much appreciation of the audience filling the
Celsus Library. The concert which will not be
erased from memories for a long time ended with
Haydn’s Symphony No.48 in C major known with the
name ‘’ Maria Theresa’’. The Ensemble who has a
worldwide fame was applauded for a long time at
the end of the concert.
The 23rd International İzmir Festival will
continue with the ‘’ Yury Bashmet – Moscow
Soloists & Shlomo Mintz’’ concert dedicated to
Ahmet Piriştina on June 27 Saturday. The tickets
of the concert that will begin at 9.30 p.m. in
Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center are sold at
Biletix counters.
Baroque Opera in
Odeon
IMENEO on the 250th Anniversary of Haendel’s
Death "Turkey Premiere of Imeneo is in the İzmir
Festival on June 18’’ The second event of the
23rd International İzmir Festival, the Baroque
Opera "Imeneo’’ will be staged on June 18, 2009
Thursday at 9.30 p.m. in Ephesus Odeon, the new
venue of the Festival. In the opera staged by
Mehmet Ergüven on the 250th Anniversary of
G.F.Haendel’s death, the orchestra will be
conducted by Paolo Villa. The stage design of
the work was prepared by Tayfun Çebi, costumes
by Sevda Aksakoğlu and the lighting was made by
Müfit Özbek.
The major roles are shared by Cengiz Sayın
(İmeneo), Linet Şaul (Tirinto), Burcu Kılıç
(Rosmene), A.Sevinç Sayın (Clomiri) and Beran
Sertkaya (Argenio).
The synopsis of Imeneo which will be staged for
the first time in the 23rd International İzmir
Festival is briefly as follows: " Rosmene and
Clomiri have been kidnapped by pirates.
Rosmene’s sweetheart, Tirinto, and Clomiri’s
father, Argenio are lamenting the damsels’ fate
. Imeneo rescues the girls. In return, he wants
to marry Rosmene. Rosmene has to make a choice
between her love Tirinto and Imeneo to whom she
feels gratitude. Rosmene is jammed between her
desire and her duty.’’
One additional element which will make Imeneo
Opera interesting is that the role of Rosmene’s
lover Tirinto will be enacted by a woman
actress. In compliance with the Baroque opera
tradition, in İzmir staging also, the role of
Tirinto will be enacted by Pınar Karaçalı or
Linet Şaul.
Mehmet Ergüven, who has staged the three-act
opera in two acts says that, " A stage director
attempting to make a settlement with Haendel’s
operas, is compelled to review everthing he
knows again.’’ Ergüven, who reminds that in
recent years, Haendel Operas are staged one
after the other with an increasing interest in
the whole world, says that " "Imeneo’’ being
staged in Izmir five years later on the occasion
of the 250th birth anniversary of this great
master is a promising effort which must be
congratulated for The Republic of Turkey
foreseen by Atatürk.
The people who want to see Imeneo for which the
tickets are sold with prices of 100 TL for the
special section and 30 TL for the other sections
will be able to benefit from the public buses of
the Municipality which will depart from besides
the D.E.Ü. Sabancı Culture Center on the day
June 18 between 18.00 – 19.30 hrs. ESHOT
authorities have informed that a price of four
full tickets will be charged for the round-trip
and the passengers will be left where they were
picked from, besides D.E.Ü. Sabancı Culture
Center.
The 23rd International İzmir Festival Started
Opening show fitting the Festival from Kodo
The 23rd International İzmir Festival opened in
Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center with an
unforgettable show with the attendance of
National Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, İzmir
Governor Cahit Kıraç, Deputy Undersecretary of
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Şenay Başer
and Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan
Municipality Sırrı Aydoğan. Kodo, the greatest
name of the traditional Japanese drum exhibited
a performance well deserving its reputation,
received a standing ovation for long minutes. In
the Traditional Festival Opening Cocktail
organized before the opening show, plaques of
gratitude were presented to the corporations,
institutions and persons who have supported the
Festival.
Following the opening speeches, the Kodo troupe
consisted of 25 people, started its show which
will not be erased from memories for long years.
In the show that lasted about two hours, Kodo
presented 12 pieces. Following the show uniting
the traditional and the modern, the woman with
man, the old with the new with an extraordinary
synthesis, the artlovers who filled up AASSM
gave a standing ovation to Kodo for minutes. The
15 drummers who came to the stage for encore
thanked their audience with their performances
reaching the zenith of endurance, strength and
sensation.
