The season of festivals on the Bodrum Peninsula, which hosts many events throughout the summer, will start with the Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival on July 16-Aug. 3, promising a series of unique concerts for classical music lovers.
This is the fifth edition of the festival for which Gülsin Onay provides artistic consulting. The festival is coordinated by Eren Levendoğlu and presents world-famous classical music figures whom Turkish music lovers do not have frequent chances to see. The old Church of Eklisia in Gümüşlük serves as the festival venue, with its perfect acoustics and sense of history. Admission is free of charge for all concerts in the lineup of this "boutique" festival, sponsored by several private companies and the Gümüşlük Municipality.
Israeli pianist Daniel Gortler will be in Gümüşlük next Wednesday evening to perform the festival”s opening concert. The next event will feature the famous Turkish viola player Ruşen Güneş on July 18. A recital by Gülşen Tatu, a legend both among flautists and classical music audiences across the world, will take place on the evening of July 23. Croatian pianist Kemal Gekic, who gave his first concert in Turkey at last year”s Gümüşlük festival, will make his second appearance on July 25 at the festival upon repeated requests from festival-goers.
Turkish violinist Hakan Şensoy, who is as successful a conductor as he is as a soloist and who is much appreciated for his efforts to establish quality music institutions in Turkey, will be performing on July 30. On Aug. 1, the festival will host pianist Stephen Gutman, one of the UK”s most creative performers. The closing concert will be given by world-famous Turkish piano virtuoso Gülsin Onay on Aug. 3.
Festival seeks main sponsor
Levendoğlu said the festival has demonstrated its difference by giving its audience an unforgettable and magical experience with its venues and performers. This festival is a gift from the Gümüşlük Culture and Art Society to all musical lovers, he added. He noted that the festival is organized at world standards despite its limited resources. "Thanks to support from Bilkent University and other organizations, generous performers who agree to give concerts for little money and the labor and self-sacrifice by the handful of people who organize it, we have managed to put on this magnificent festival with meager funds. It is very difficult to finance," Levendoğlu stated. He pointed out that they are trying to find a main sponsor that is aware of the importance of organizing this high-quality event and that is ready to support the training of a new generation of musicians.
Levendoğlu emphasized that they invited Gekic once again to the festival as there were repeated requests for him from the audience last year, adding that classical music fans should not miss the concerts by Gutman, Onay, Güneş and Tatu. The festival will also host concerts by 45 young musicians who will receive training at the Eklisia Summer Music School. The concert by the Eklisia Chamber Orchestra, made up of these young musicians, will be given at Ambrosia Hotel in Bitez on July 31.
Resource: Today”s Zaman
