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Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) with the support of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the 48th Istanbul Music Festival was launched on Friday, 18 September at 20.00 (GMT+3) with the Opening Concert: Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra & Emre Engin, which can be streamed online for free on İKSV’s YouTube channel.

This year, the festival will meet music lovers virtually between 18 September and 5 October 2020. Curated around this year’s theme, The Enlightened World of Beethoven, the festival concerts filmed at historical venues in Istanbul, Ankara and various cities of Europe will be available for streaming on online.iksv.org for audiences both in Turkey and around the world with accessible ticket prices.

Opening Concert by Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra and violinist Emre Engin

The 48th Istanbul Music Festival opened with the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra, the festival’s 2019-2022 Opening Concert Orchestra. The concert under the baton of Aziz Shokhakimov, with violinist Emre Engin as the soloist, featured works by Beethoven, Mozart, Prokofiev, and Bartok. Filmed at the Boğaziçi University South Campus in July, the concert was attended by a limited number of İKSV’s Tulip Card members in line with the COVID-19 measures.

The online concert was preceded by the opening speech of the Chairman of İKSV Bülent Eczacıbaşı and Istanbul Music Festival Director Efruz Çakırkaya, followed by the introductions of this year’s festival award recipients. Festival’s Honorary Award was presented to musicologist and music writer Ahmet Say and The Aydın Gün Encouragement Award for 2019 was presented to young violinist Elvin Hoxha Ganiyev. One of the leading representatives of Russian school of music, Alexander Rudin will receive his Lifetime Achievement Award next year at the festival.

First week at the festival

MUSIC ROUTE

 Streaming On: Saturday, 19 September 2020 at 20.00 – Monday, 19 October 2020 at 20.00

Istanbul Music Festival’s blockbuster series, Music Route takes you on another musical excursion that transcends time and space – and this year, from the comfort of your home.

 WEEKEND CLASSICS – I: MIAM PERCUSSION

Streaming On: Sunday, 20 September 2020 at 11.00 – Tuesday, 20 October 2020 at 11.00

The Weekend Classics series that has so far offered a musical start to your weekends with your family and friends in a relaxed open-air atmosphere, this year provides you with a light-spirited concert that you can enjoy with your family at home. The concert is then followed by the ‘Make It & Play It’ workshop for children aged 3-6 on making instruments from scrap materials on İKSV’s YouTube channel.

FESTIVAL ENCOUNTER: EVCİL & KOCABEYLER

Streaming On: Monday, 21 September 2020 at 20.00 – Wednesday, 21 October 2020 at 20.00

The Festival Encounters series offers another one-off experience, this time with Bülent Evcil and Merve Kocabeyler who will join forces for the first time for a magical evening at the nearly 1,600 years old Theodosius Cistern.

FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA & CEM MANSUR

 Streaming On: Tuesday, 22 September 2020 at 20.00 – Thursday, 22 October 2020 at 20.00

 The Festival Orchestra makes its debut under the baton of Cem Mansur with a lyrical programme that will soothe the soul.

PHILHARMONIX ‘THE VIENNA/ BERLIN MUSIC CLUB’*

Streaming On: Wednesday, 23 September 2020 at 20.00 – Friday, 23 October 2020 at 20.00

This unique ensemble brings together three members of the Vienna Philharmonic, two Berlin Philharmonic soloists, one of the most versatile Austrian pianists and an improvising and singing violinist for a deliciously heady cocktail of classical, jazz, klezmer, Latin, and even pop music.

*This concert is available for streaming only in Turkey.

WIENER AKADEMIE ‘BEETHOVEN GALA’*

Streaming On: Thursday, 24 September 2020 at 20.00 – Saturday, 24 October 2020 at 20.00

World-renowned period-instrument orchestra Wiener Akademie joins forces with one of the greatest baritones of our day, Thomas Hampson, and one of the most versatile violinists of today, Benjamin Schmid, to offer a tribute to Beethoven.

*This concert is available for streaming only in Turkey.

 STARS OF CHAMBER MUSIC: KHEOPS ENSEMBLE*

Streaming On: Friday, 25 September 2020 at 20.00 – Sunday, 25 October 2020 at 20.00

Founded by three Belgian musicians widely appreciated on the international scene, the versatile Kheops Ensemble will perform a charmingly intimate programme of Brahms and Beethoven Clarinet Trios and the Turkey premiere of Dürrüoğlu’s Emotions Fugitives III.

*This concert is available for streaming only in Turkey.

TEKFEN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & ANNA TIFU

Streaming On: Saturday, 26 September 2020 at 20.00 – Monday, 26 October 2020 at 20.00

‘Hypnotic and magical’ (Metropolitan) Italian violin virtuoso Anna Tifu performs her ‘highly seductive’ (On-mag.fr) interpretation of Chausson’s Poème while the Tekfen Philharmonic also renders Brahms’ 1st Symphony, under the baton of its artistic director Aziz Shokhakimov, who captivates the audiences with his deeply musical and dynamic interpretations.

‘PASTORALE ALLA TURCA’

Streaming On: Sunday, 27 September 2020 at 20.00 – Tuesday, 27 October 2020 at 20.00

This concert featuring the world premiere of Erdener’s Nonet Pastoral ‘alla turca’, which interweaves Beethoven’s Pastoral with themes from Ottoman composers, is part of the Beethoven Pastoral Project run within the scope of BTHVN2020.

 Festival tickets

Concert tickets are on sale on online.iksv.org/muzik with a single ticket price of 20 TRY. The audiences will also be able to purchase a bundle ticket that is valid for all the concerts for 250 TRY. As part of the festival, a new concert will be open to stream every day as of 18 September, and the paid concerts will be accessible for 30 days. Viewers will be able to stream the concerts for 7 days after they start watching. The free concerts streamed on İKSV’s YouTube channel will be accessible for one week.