5th International Istanbul Opera Festival
The General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet gets ready for an excellent opera festival for the art-lovers in Istanbul with the 5th International Istanbul Opera fest between the dates 3 to 17 June 2014 organized with the contributions of DenizBank.
The International Istanbul Opera Festival, meeting with its audience since 2010, which is organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, carrying out its activities with the principle of presenting the opera and ballet art to the benefit of all the sections of the society in our country, and under the main sponsorship of DenizBank, will be presented to the Istanbul audience in an excellent program where the local and foreign people and artists come together in the fifth year.
The works to be included in the schedule of the festival are as follows: “Attila”, “Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet, the Conquerer)”, “Saraydan Kız Kaçırma (Abduction from the Seraglio)”, “Beklenmedik Karşılaşma (Unexpected Encounter)”, “Birjan ve Sara (Birjan and sara)” operas which reflect the Turkish Culture and lifestyle and the unforgettable “Lüküs Hayat (Luxurious Life)” musical familiar to the Turkish audience, and the fest will end with the “Gala Concert by Dmitri Hvorostovsky” worldwide known baritone.
The fest will meet with its audience on 3rd of June, 2014 with “Attila” the famous opera by G.Verdi, a production of Ankara State Opera and Ballet. The work whose premier was performed by Ankara State Opera and Ballet in 2014 art season and each performance was house full will be staged at Zorlu Center PSM. In the work, staged by the famous director Andrejs Zagars for Ankara State Opera and Ballet; Attila’s love for Odabella, who was captured during Roma’s invasion and Odabella’s plans for revenge are told.
On 6th of June, 2014, the “II. Mehmet (Mehmet, the Second)” opera by G. Rossini will be staged by Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. The work will meet the audience under the name “Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet, the Conquerer)”, which is interpreted in a different way by the head director of the State Opera and Ballet Yekta Kara by changing the time and venue taking the audience to the time when Istanbul was conquered and where the Janissary Band Group will be seen on the opera stage for the first time in the world. The splendid work, which will be performed with a huge staff as a result of the participation of hundreds of artists on the stage, was also presented in the first year of the festival and caused tremendous excitement. The work will be staged at Zorlu Center PSM.
On 9th and 10th of June Samsun State Opera and Ballet will perform the famous opera by W.A. Mozart “Abduction from the Seraglio” with the participation of soloist artists from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The opera having been the symbol of the festival will be directed by Yekta Kara who has directed the work for many times abroad. Differences of the players coming from the Eastern and Western cultures are emphasized in the work where Selim Pasha is presented as the main character of the play thanks to the merciful character and virtuous nature of Mozart. The work will be staged at Istanbul Archeology Museums Garden.
In the schedule of the 5th International Istanbul Opera Fest where many things will be seen this year for the first time with the works, guests and different stages, “Birjan and Sara” opera by the Kazakh composer Mukan Tulebayev will be staged at 13th of June 2014 night by the Samsun State Opera and Ballet at the Bakırköy Leyla Gencer Opera Stage. The work’s premier was made in Turkey last year following the fact that TÜRKSOY attributed the year 2013 to the Kazakh Composer Mukan Tulebayev for his 100th year of birth.
The audience of the fest will find the chance to watch the impacts of Turkish Ottoman culture on Europe from the perspectives of artists from Salzburg and, the fest will continue at Kadıköy Süreyya Opera on 14-15th of June, 2014. The “Unexpected Encounter” opera by C.W. Gluck will be presented to the audience with two performances by the Salzburg State Opera. The “Unexpected Encounter”, one of the products of admiration for Turks which turned into a Turkish Opera Movement in the 18th century in Europe was staged in Vienna in 1780 and attracted great attention and staged in many countries until now. In the work, many factors such as Gluck oriental folk dance, folk music and arias were brought together. Salzburg State Opera, which adapts the adventures of colorful pilgrimage group to the Cairo port and deck of the Nil ferryboat, will meet with the art-lovers from Istanbul for the first time in this festival.
The 5th International Istanbul Opera Fest will continue with a very important work in the history of Turkish operetta and musicals. The everlasting work “Luxurious Life” musical by Cemal Reşit Rey will be staged at Bakırköy Leyla Gencer Opera Stage on the 15-16th of June by Mersin State Opera and Ballet and be directed by the famous theatre actor Haldun Dormen.
The festival will be ended with a work of art which will leave its mark on the year 2014. The ending date of the fest will be 17th of June and at that Tuesday night the worldwide famous baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky will meet the art-lovers in Istanbul at the Gala Concert. The artist, who has been one of the favorite artists of the audience at the most important and major opera stages from New York to Moscow from London to Vienna will be accompanied by the soprano Ana Maria Martinez and Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Band. The concert will be performed at Zorlu Center PSM and orchestrated by a famous name, the Maestro Constantine Orbelian.
The International Istanbul Opera Fest having been organized for five years by the Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet with the contributions of DenizBank, always supporting the culture and art life of Turkey aims to make the audience live magical moments with all the colorful and shining opera works again this year.
DenizBank is side by side with culture and arts
DenizBank has supported many important projects since it was established in 1997. The bank supported the Afife Jale Stage to open its curtains by saying “Yes to Art” in the first year it was established. And through DenizKültür, formed in the structure of DenizBank in 2004 the bank continues to gain important works to the cultural treasure of Turkey.
DenizBank supports the International Istanbul Opera Fest since its first day. DenizBank has been the sponsor of İDSO (İstanbul State Symphony Orchestra) for 9 years. “İDSO - DenizBank Concerts” continue to enrich the cultural life of Istanbul with an ever-growing interest every season. The International Bodrum Ballet Fest the first and sole ballet fest in Turkey is also organized in cooperation with DenizBank and State Opera and Ballet. Lastly, DenizBank has been the main sponsor for the concerts of “Orchestra Academic Başkent" under the University of Baskent in Ankara during 2013- 2014 season. In this content, the concerts of the Orchestra Academic Başkent during 2013- 2014 season will be arranged under the name “Orchestra Academic Başkent - DenizBank Concerts”.