Manolo Carrasco

Born in Cadiz on March 15th 1971, Manolo Carrasco began his musical studies at the Manuel de Falla Conservatoire in Cadiz with Rafael Prieto. After, he went to the Higher Conservatoire in Seville with Ana Guijarro and Manuel de Diego, and continued his studies at the Liceo Conservatoire in Barcelona with Ramon Coll. He later went to the El Escorial Conservatoire in Madrid to study composition under the tutelage of Eduardo Armenteros and piano with Anatoli Pouvson. He moved on to the Rpyl Higher Conservatoire of Music in Madrid, where he studied composition with Anton Garcia Abril and piano with Manuel Carra.

Manolo Carrasco has a wide knowledge of orchestra conducting. At the age of 19, he conducted the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time during the recording of his own album Sueños de Juventud. As a composer, pianist and a conductor; he gave thousands of concerts over 5 continents and awarded with prizes in Spain and France.

The author of the music for the Real Escuela Andaluza de Arte Ecuestre and of the Por Ellos, dedicated to the victims of terrorism, he has released 33 albums in Spain and 20 in different countries around the world. He became the first Spanish artist to perform at Moscow’s Red Square and the Kremlin.

During his show ‘Sounds from Spain’, 6 flamenco dancer and 7 musicians work with Carrasco while playing works of famous Francisco Tárrega, Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Luigi Bocherini, Georges Bizet and Antonio Soler, best Flamenco and Classical sounds from 19th century to present time.

Gürer Aykal

He was born in Eskişehir, in year 1942. He started his musical education at the Ankara State Conservatory in 1953. He had graduated from the Violin department in 1963 as student of Necdet Remzi Atak. After that, Gürer Aykal started the composing department and he had graduated in 1969 as student of Ahmet Saygun. On the very same year, he went to England with the state scholarship he was rewarded to attend his education on conducting. He worked with world-famous conductors in England. He completed the Guildhall Music School and Royal Music Academy Advanced Conductorship departmenst with degree of first ranks. Aykal returned to Turkey after graduating from Rome Santa Cecilia Academy with his assistantship of Franco Ferrara in year 1973 and received a Mark of Conductorship from Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy. He was assigned as the permanent conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in 1975. Aykal has conducted the events of the Ankara Chamber Orchestra which he formed with Suna Kan domestically as well as over a hundred concerts abroad. He was awarded the title of Artist of the State in 1981 due to his international services and successes on music area. Aykal has performed as conductor and general music director in the United States of America for sixteen years and he carried out the titles as Permanent Conductor and General Music Director of El Paso Texas Symphony Orchestra between 1991 – 2003 years in addition to that he also received a title of honorary professor from the university of which this orchestra is affiliated. Aykal, on the one hand is currently on duty as the honorary conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra which he formed in 1999 and on the other hand he continues his job as Academician at Bilkent University and as Art Director of International Antalya Piano Festival.

Stéphane Blet

Stéphane Blet was born in Paris on 9 March 1969. Disciple of the great American pianist Byron Janis (Horowitz’s sole pupil), who discovered his exceptional talent and invited him to New York in the 1980’s, he began a brilliant international concert career in 1986. His triumphal recitals at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees and the Salle Gaveau in Paris have earned him long standing ovations as in his memorable ‘Liszt Marathon’ in February 1987, when he was encored for more than 30 minutes. Blet has recorded several albums for Philips, Forlane, RCA, Saphir, Universal, aXes and Calliope, with programs of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Scriabin, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Satie, Blet... as well as several ‘live’ recitals.

In 1992, Blet decides to devote himself not only to his international career as a concertist but also to his second passion; composition. His works, published by Editions Leduc, Durand-Eschig, Zurfluh, Combre, Lafitan, Martin, Fertile Plaine, Soldano and Lemonie, met straightaway with considerable success and are frequently chosen as compulsory works in major International Competitions. In 1993, Blet caused a sensation in the music world by transcribing Liszt’s complete, monumental ‘Faust Symphony’ for piano. (Ed. Combre- Lemoine). Since then, 300 scores have seen the day, including 11 Piano Sonatas, songs, 2 Concertos, numerous works for violin, including a Sonata for Violin and Piano, a Gnostic Mass, and a cycle of 12 Turkish & Ottoman Rhapsodies. In 1996, he was decorated by the Turkish government for his unique work in favour of that country’s folk music. In 1999, he received the Silver Medal from the ‘Societe d’encouragement au Progres’ then the Gold Medal in 2012, for his inestimable contribution for the Arts in the world. Stéphane Blet has been President of the jury for many international piano competitions. He has been Vice President of the French “Académie Nationale du Disque lyrique” for 20 years and created the “Leyla Gencer International Prize”.

In 2004, Blet was raised to the rank of Chevalier in the French National Order of Arts and Letters. The famous French magazine “Marianne” defines Blet as “The king of the keyboard”.

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Established in 1995 as Antalya Chamber Orchestra and given various concerts in this status, the orchestra changed its name as “Antalya State Symphony Orchestra” in 1997 as a result of the Council of Ministers’ resolution. The Antalya State Symphony Orchestra having an importance place in the Antalya’s cultural life, significantly contributes to the advertising of both the area and Turkey and supports the development of the national tourism.

During the season it brings together thousands of domestic and foreign art-lovers together at Antalya Culture Center, Aspendos Theatre and in the concerts organized as parts of International Side Arts and Culture Festival. With its educatory concerts, the orchestra reached numerous students.

Up to the present, the orchestra has been working under the conductorship of many famous Turkish names including İnci Özdil, Gürer Aykal, Hikmet Şimşek, Rengim Gökmen, Emin Güven Yaşlıçam, Ender Sakpınar, Cem Mansur and Erol Erdinç; also accompanied the Turkish soloists like İdil Biret, Suna Kan, Verda Erman, Ayşegül Sarıca, Gülsin Onay, Ayla Caymaz, Taşkın Oray, Cihat Aşkın, Mehveç Emeç, Muhittin Demiriz, Yıldız İbrahimova, Aytül Büyüksaraç and Emre Elivar, beside many others.

Cem Esen

Cem Esen was born in Adana in 1997. He began his piano education with Can Çoker at the Adana State Conservatory, where he studied for seven years. Since 2010, he has been studying at the Istanbul State Conservatory with Prof. Metin Ülkü.

He has participated in many workshops and master classes with Stefan Kovacevich, Prof. Andrej Dutkievich, Peter Florian, Diane Andersen, Alan Weiss, Johan Schmidt, Cecile Edel-Latos, Jun Kano, Gülsin Onay, Fazıl Say, Emre Şen, Andrea Luccessini, Ludmil Angelov. He performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major with Çukurova Symphony Orchestra in 2009 and with Bursa Symphony Orchestra in 2010. he performed Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in E Minor with Çukurova Symphony Orchestra and İzmir Symphony Orchestra. In 2012, Esen was invited to the Istanbul Music Festival and the International Antalya Piano Festival. He performed solo resital in many cities (İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Mersin, Bursa Eskişehir, Hannover, Bremen, Utrecht) Esen continues his studies with Prof. Roland Krüger from Hannover Hochschule für Musik Theatre and Median since 2015.

Cem Esen will perform the first performance of “Sonata-Moderato piu mosso” which is composed for International Antalya Piano Festival.

Sonata 1. Movement – Moderato piu mosso

I have composed this sonata especially for the Antalya Piano Festival upon the request of Gürer Aykal. I will perform only the first movement. I consider the style of my composition as the combination of Neo Romanticism and Modernism. In general, I employ a self-criticism part in my works that I use towards myself. In subliminal, you can hear “C, E, E flat/ do,mi,mi bemol“ motive, which is built on my names’ own coordinates. When the Romantic atmosphere leaves its place to sarcasm and severe, know that I have come into play and embrace this philosophy:

“The beauty is temporary; what matters is comprehending its value. In some cases, the opposite situations make us long for it and the beauties that are fully understood come to us more eminent.”

In my composition, I approach the notion of beauty in Romanticism and have the confident that its value will be understood by the poles apart.

Gürer Aykal

He was born in Eskişehir, in year 1942. He started his musical education at the Ankara State Conservatory in 1953. He had graduated from the Violin department in 1963 as student of Necdet Remzi Atak. After that, Gürer Aykal started the composing department and he had graduated in 1969 as student of Ahmet Saygun. On the very same year, he went to England with the state scholarship he was rewarded to attend his education on conducting. He worked with world-famous conductors in England. He completed the Guildhall Music School and Royal Music Academy Advanced Conductorship departmenst with degree of first ranks. Aykal returned to Turkey after graduating from Rome Santa Cecilia Academy with his assistantship of Franco Ferrara in year 1973 and received a Mark of Conductorship from Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Italy. He was assigned as the permanent conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in 1975. Aykal has conducted the events of the Ankara Chamber Orchestra which he formed with Suna Kan domestically as well as over a hundred concerts abroad. He was awarded the title of Artist of the State in 1981 due to his international services and successes on music area. Aykal has performed as conductor and general music director in the United States of America for sixteen years and he carried out the titles as Permanent Conductor and General Music Director of El Paso Texas Symphony Orchestra between 1991 – 2003 years in addition to that he also received a title of honorary professor from the university of which this orchestra is affiliated. Aykal, on the one hand is currently on duty as the honorary conductor of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra which he formed in 1999 and on the other hand he continues his job as Academician at Bilkent University and as Art Director of International Antalya Piano Festival.

Emre Elivar

Began his piano studies at the age of five with Prof. Kamuran Gündemir and graduated finally at the Music Academy of Berlin, Elivar won several international prizes during his early career.

The first performance of WTC 1 by Bach in complete in Turkey, the “Great Variations” with works by Mendelssohn (op.54), Brahms (op.35/ I-II) and Beethoven (op.120), his USA debut in “Embassy Series” and his appearance with works by Debussy (Images I-II) and Ravel (Valses nobles et sentimentales & Gaspard de la Nuit) are his most important performances.

Besides hic concerts with orchestras such as Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Dortmund Philharmonic, Kassel State Orchestra, Northwest German Philharmonic, Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau, Wuppertal Symphony, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Borusan Philharmonic, Bilkent Symphony, etc., he realized various recordings. The most significant ones are the CD released by Sony with works by Schubert and Schumann as well as the Chopin recording, released by TRT.

Emre Elivar is member and co-founder of Arkas Trio since June 2011 and lives in Berlin, Germany.

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Established in 1995 as Antalya Chamber Orchestra and given various concerts in this status, the orchestra changed its name as “Antalya State Symphony Orchestra” in 1997 as a result of the Council of Ministers’ resolution. The Antalya State Symphony Orchestra having an importance place in the Antalya’s cultural life, significantly contributes to the advertising of both the area and Turkey and supports the development of the national tourism.

During the season it brings together thousands of domestic and foreign art-lovers together at Antalya Culture Center, Aspendos Theatre and in the concerts organized as parts of International Side Arts and Culture Festival. With its educatory concerts, the orchestra reached numerous students.

Up to the present, the orchestra has been working under the conductorship of many famous Turkish names including İnci Özdil, Gürer Aykal, Hikmet Şimşek, Rengim Gökmen, Emin Güven Yaşlıçam, Ender Sakpınar, Cem Mansur and Erol Erdinç; also accompanied the Turkish soloists like İdil Biret, Suna Kan, Verda Erman, Ayşegül Sarıca, Gülsin Onay, Ayla Caymaz, Taşkın Oray, Cihat Aşkın, Mehveç Emeç, Muhittin Demiriz, Yıldız İbrahimova, Aytül Büyüksaraç and Emre Elivar, beside many others.

Ariadna Castellanos

Ariadna Castellanos is a pianist and composer from Spain. Her virtuosity on the piano, her creativity and her masters of a wide variety of music styles makes her ‘one of the most interesting Jazz musicians of her generation’, as Vanity Fair EEUU mentioned last year on the article ‘The Young and the hip’. She has two albums: F.Black and White (2012) with a Latin Grammy Nomination as best producer of the year, and MJU:ZIK (2016) a perfect blend between piano and electronic music, that made it into the top list of 2016 albums in Spain.

She is the only Spanish person to receive the Presidential Award at Berklee College of Music (Boston) in which she graduated Magna Cum Laude in modern music composition and business, after graduating in classical piano with full Scholarship from Guildhall School of Music (London).

She has tour all around the world and shared stage with artist such as: Paco de Lucia, Paquito de Ribera, Michael Camilo, Richard Bona, Herbie Hancock and recorded collaborations with Alejandro Sanz, Nach and Pepe de Lucia, as well as movies.

Hakan Şensoy

Born in Istanbul, the artist started learning the violin under the supervision of Prof. Ayhan Turan at the “Special Violin Unit for Quick Instruction”. After the first recital he gave in 1984, the artist participated in many orchestra concerts as soloist and conductor and gave recitals in various countries such as Italy, Albania, Switzerland, France, Bulgaria, United States, Australia, Romania, China, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Russia, Venezuela, Mexico, Czech Republic, North Cyprus and Turkey in important concert halls such as New York Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center-Paris Louvre, Auditorium-Prague Smetana Hall.

In September 1988, he began his education at the Royal College of Music in London to pursue a master’s degree with a scholarship he earned and got graduated from Trevor Williams’s class at this college.

In 1990-92 term Şensoy completed the master’s degree in ITU Institute of Social Sciences and in 2002 the doctorate degree in ITU Institute of Social Sciences. Then he continued his studies for a certain period of time with the State Artist Ayla Erduran and famous Russian Violinist and Pedagogue Victor Pikaisen. He took his first Orchestra Conducting lessons from Demirhan Altuğ between 1981 and 1987, worked for a certain period with Emin Güven Yaşlıçam and attended the Gianluigi Gelmetti’s conductor course in Accademia Cicciana di Sienna in the summer of 2003. As orchestra conductor, he has worked with world- renowned soloists such as Sholomo Mintz, Raphael Walfisch, Fazıl Say, Cihat Aşkın, Ryu Goto, Tedi Papavrami, Peter Jablonsky, Bruno Schneider, Gülsin Onay, Emre Elivar, Keneth Hamilton, Steven Isserlis, Adrian Brendel, Peter Jablonsky and contemporary soloists and groups such as Terence Blanched Band, Bee Gees Band, Dreamtone & Iris Mavraki’s NEVERLAND, George Benson, George Dalaras, Alim Qasimov, Fergana Qasimova. The artist conducts concerts in a wide range of countries starting from America to Australia and participated in recitals and orchestral concerts as a soloist.

By 2015, Şensoy was assigned Karşıyaka Municipality Chamber Orchestra Music Director and on October 29th, 2017, he conducted the La Scala Cameristi in the Teatro alla Scala, becoming so the first Turkish conductor who has performed in this artistic scene. The artist is currently a lecturer with the title of Assistant Professor at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory.

Çağ Erçağ

Çağ Erçağ entered the Hacettepe University State Conservatoire in 1986 and studied under Jozsef Györffy and Prof Doğan Cangal finishing the school with honors. During his education he gave concerts in France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Egypt and many other countries with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra and had the opportunity to attend Lluís Claret’s master- class. Erçağ performed with artists like Gürer Aykal, Fazıl Say, Ayla Erduran, Ayşegül Sarıca, Robert Cohen, Aleksander Rudin and Daniel Grosgurin and appeared at the 35th Istanbul Music Festival (2007) with the Borusan Chamber Orchestra as well as Cyprus, Eskişehir, and Mersin Music Festivals. He performed as a soloist with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic, Presidential Symphony, Izmir State Symphony, Bursa Regional Symphony, Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra and the Şişli Municipal Orchestra in Strasbourg. He was appointed solo cellist of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2003. Apart from BIPO, he is also a member of the cello ensemble of four members established in 2002, Çellistanbul and the Borusan Quartet. Together with Borusan Quartet for which Gerhard Schulz of the Alban Berg Quartet is a music advisor, they attended the master-classes of Maxim Vengerov, Joshua Epstein, Juilliard Quartet. In addition to their regular seasonal concerts at the Süreyya Opera and the Borusan Music House in Istanbul, they had many tours in Turkey as well as France, Germany, Austria, Italy, USA and many other countries. In May 2010 they were awarded the “Chamber Ensemble of the Year” at the Andante Magazine’s Classical Music Awards. They also won the gold medal at the 2010 ICMEC International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition (USA) from among 88 other ensembles and performed at the Weill Recital Hall. Erçağ performed with the Borusan Quartet in cities like Montpellier, Milano, Strasbourg and Boston as well as Ankara Music, Antalya Piano, D-Marin (Bodrum), Istanbul Music, Merano (Italy), Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) Festivals an appeared as soloists with the Izmir, Istanbul, Bursa, Eskişehir Symphony Orchestras. Also Çag Erçağ, the cellist who was invited from Turkey, performed the New York Philharmonic concert at the concerts in which world-renowned cellist Yo-yo Ma was soloist with the participation of artists selected from the musicians of different countries of the world where he was director of Alan Gilbert with the orchestra, he gave concerts in the cello group. Çağ Erçağ plays a 1740 Petrus Guarneri cello the purchase of which architect-photographer Ahmet Ertuğ has contributed to in memory of his father’s love for classical music.

Nurkan Renda

Nurkan Renda was born in 1975 in Ankara, Turkey.

He is a classical guitarist graduated from Bilkent University in 1998. He attended MIAM in 2000 and got his master’s degree on classical guitar in 2003.

He’s arranged, recorded and played with artists like Sertab Erener, Nil Karaibrahimgil, Tarkan to name a few.

Renda is an active producer, teacher and a session musician in İstanbul, Turkey.

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Established in 1995 as Antalya Chamber Orchestra and given various concerts in this status, the orchestra changed its name as “Antalya State Symphony Orchestra” in 1997 as a result of the Council of Ministers’ resolution. The Antalya State Symphony Orchestra having an importance place in the Antalya’s cultural life, significantly contributes to the advertising of both the area and Turkey and supports the development of the national tourism.

During the season it brings together thousands of domestic and foreign art-lovers together at Antalya Culture Center, Aspendos Theatre and in the concerts organized as parts of International Side Arts and Culture Festival. With its educatory concerts, the orchestra reached numerous students.

Up to the present, the orchestra has been working under the conductorship of many famous Turkish names including İnci Özdil, Gürer Aykal, Hikmet Şimşek, Rengim Gökmen, Emin Güven Yaşlıçam, Ender Sakpınar, Cem Mansur and Erol Erdinç; also accompanied the Turkish soloists like İdil Biret, Suna Kan, Verda Erman, Ayşegül Sarıca, Gülsin Onay, Ayla Caymaz, Taşkın Oray, Cihat Aşkın, Mehveç Emeç, Muhittin Demiriz, Yıldız İbrahimova, Aytül Büyüksaraç and Emre Elivar, beside many others.

Luz Casal

The girl grew up, as did her yearnings, thus the Asturias land soon became too small for her and her bold perseverance took her to Madrid, the capital city where she recorded two singles that opened the doors for her to the musical industry and sing with various orchestras without a moment to spare. At first, she began her musical career with taking the role of ‘Raquel Meller’ in the musical ‘Las Divinas - The Divines’. Then, she had her first single called ‘El Ascensor’. Around that time, she had ‘Critics’ Special Award’ and created a new era in Spanish music 2 years after by the time her first album has released. With the song composed by Agustín Lara ‘Piensa En mi – Think of Me’ she well liked also by Turkish people in the unforgettable film of Pedro Almodóvar ‘Tacones Lejanos - High Heels’. Moreover, she led the music field with her album ‘La Pasión’.

Right after she was decorated with one of the most prestigious awards in France, ‘Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ proved that she is loved by not only in her country but also the outside of Spain. She recorded a ‘Best of Album’ called ‘Un Ramo De Rosas – A Bunch of Roses’ consisting of songs for last in 30 years of her career in 2011 and also she took a world tour around the same time in 2012. With her album after 4 years ‘Alma’, she has already featured by the critics as the best album for the international market which is recorded in Los Angeles Eastwest Studios. For the song ‘Madrugadas’ she performed with Magnifico in 2014 for the movie called ‘See You in Montevideo’ directed by Dragan Bjelogrlic. Recently, she has recorded a brand new album called ‘Luz Casal chante Dalida: A mi Manera’ and released her first song in summer of 2017.

Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra

Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra was established in 2014. The Orchestra continues its studies with Engin Beslek who is also the Maestro of Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra. The age of orchestra members varies between 5 and 20 years old. The orchestra consists in total of 100 students including 2 flutes, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 1 clarinet, 2 classical guitars, 1 bass guitar and mostly violins. The number of the instruments may differ based on concerts. Approximately, 50 and 75 students perform at each concert. The repertoire of the orchestra is Turkish Music, Classical Turkish Music, Classical Music and Popular Music.

Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra has taken to stage at many musical festivals and has awarded by different music authorities. The orchestra is frequently being invited by different domestic and foreign organizations and festivals.

Many students of this orchestra have the opportunity of attending music schools until now.

The orchestra continues its performances within Kepez Municipality.

Leonard Slatkin

In 2017-18, internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin celebrates his tenth and final season as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and his first season in the new role of Directeur Musical Honoraire with the Orchestre National de Lyon. He also welcomes the publication of his second book, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, and serves as jury chairman of the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors. His guest-conducting schedule includes engagements with the St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Polish National Radio Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Recent career highlights include a three-week tour of Asia with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; tours of the U.S. and Europe with the Orchestre National de Lyon; a winter Mozart Festival in Detroit; and engagements with the St. Louis Symphony, WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, Verdi Orchestra in Milan, and San Carlo Theatre Orchestra in Naples. Moreover, he served as chairman of the jury and conductor of the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Slatkin’s more than 100 recordings have garnered seven Grammy awards and 64 nominations. His recent Naxos recordings include works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Berlioz (with the Orchestre National de Lyon) and music by Copland, Rachmaninov, Borzova, McTee, and John Williams (with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra). In addition, he has recorded the complete Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky symphonies with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (available online as digital downloads). A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, Slatkin also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received Austria’s Decoration of Honor in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, ‘Conducting Business’.

Slatkin has conducted virtually all the leading orchestras in the world. As Music Director, he has held posts in New Orleans; St. Louis; Washington, DC; London (with the BBC Symphony Orchestra); and Lyon, France. He has also served as Principal Guest Conductor in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.

Güher & Süher Pekinel

The pianistic perfection with genuine style and interpretation of Güher and Süher Pekinel attracts exceptional attention in the international music scene. Their studies began at the Conservatoire de Paris and Musikhochschule in Frankfurt before they followed a personal invitation of Rudolf Serkin’s to pursue their studies with him at Philadelphia Curtis Institute of Music. Furthermore, they worked with such piano legends as Claudio Arrau and Leon Fleisher and completed their master’s degree at the Juilliard School as well as at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt, graduating with honours. The Pekinels’ international career truly launched upon an invitation of Herbert von Karajan to the 1984 Salzburg Festival. Subsequently, Krzysztof Penderecki, Leonard Bernstein and Jacques Loussier composed and arranged different works specifically for the two pianists.

Highlights of their career include their performances with distinguished orchestras such as the Berlin, Vienna, New York, Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonia, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra dell’ Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Philadelphia Orchestra and Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as the Eurovision concert with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, broadcast live in 28 countries, extensive tours with the Israel Philharmonic conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta, a “Take Bach” European tour with the Jacques Loussier Trio, the Opening Concert of the Lucerne Piano Festival and last but not least the performance at the Schwetzingen Festival, which was broadcast live on television in collaboration with SWR and the BBC.

Their extensive discography includes all the major works for Piano Duo, recorded under famous labels Deutsche Grammophon, CBS, Chandos, Teldec, Warner Classics, Arthaus Musik and Unitel. The in Fall 2017 released collection of 7 CDs, 2 BluRays and 2 DVDs named “Treasures” combines ten concertos for two pianos and orchestra featuring their live recording of the Bartók concert with Zubin Mehta conducting the Maggio Musicale in Florence, as well as the latest live recording with the percussionists Raphael Haeger and Simon Rössler from Berlin Philharmonic and their DVD and CD recordings of their collaboration with Jacques Loussier Trio.

The Pekinels, who have won numerous awards, continue to be known for their extensive recital tours, spanning the major music halls of Europe, the Far East, and the United States, where they receive wide critical acclaim. Through their various ongoing long-term social projects such as the “Young Musicians on World Stages” project which has ensured for the first time 13 First Prizes for Turkey and the “Orff Music Education Anatolia Project” which the Ministry of Education has accepted into the official curriculum, the Pekinels aim to support highly talented children and youth as well as to improve music education throughout Turkey.

Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra

In year 2008, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Menderes Türel, asked me to establish an orchestra which consists of musicians of the Mediterranean countries. The artists of the Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra which we could assemble in year 2014 are the outstanding musicians of their own countries.

The goal of the orchestra that consisting of musicians from all around Mediterranean territory and fueled by its land is to transform Antalya into the art center of Mediterranean territory and moreover is to blend and fuse the territory with music and to meet music lovers with the history by performing concerts in the magical environment of the Aspendos Ancient Theatre, which is known to have the best acoustic in the world.

Gürer Aykal

APF'17

21 September 2016 Wednesday

Gürer Aykal & Zhang Zuo & Akdeniz Filarmoni Orkestrası

25 September 2016 Sunday

Manolo Carrasco - Flamenko Tutkusu

01 October 2016 Saturday

Julian Rachlin & Antalya Devlet Senfoni Orkestrası

05 October 2016 Wednesday

Tolga Atalay ÜN - Kamuran Gündemir Anısına

07 October 2016 Friday

Darrell Ang & Antalya Devlet Senfoni Orkestrası

14 October 2016 Friday

Gürer Aykal & Roberto Cominati & Antalya Devlet Senfoni Orkestrası

APF'15

07 November 2014 Friday

Açılış Konseri "Türk Eserleri Gecesi"
Şef Gürer Aykal
Piyano Gökhan Aybulus A.D.S.O

08 November 2014 Saturday

Osmanlı Sarayı’nda, Piyano ile Evren Kutluay & İncesaz

11 November 2014 Tuesday

Rachmaninov Akşamı
Başar Can Kıvrak & Cem Babacan

13 November 2014 Thursday

Christian Zacharias Resitali

15 November 2014 Saturday

Tord Gustavsen Quartet

17 November 2014 Monday

Kamuran Gündemir Anısına "Genç Yıldızlar"

18 November 2014 Tuesday

Kıtalararası bir köprü "Indila"

19 November 2014 Wednesday

Geveze Piyanist "Müzik ve Sınırlar"
Emir Gamsızoğlu

20 November 2014 Thursday

Açıklamalı Resital
Piyano Hüseyin Sermet

21 November 2014 Friday

Hüzün ve Huzurun Buluşması
Piyano Paul Lewis

22 November 2014 Saturday

"Mera" Dünya Prömiyeri
Beste Andrea Portera
Piyano Doruk Görkem Tokur
Brezilya’nın büyüsü Eliane Elias

23 November 2014 Sunday

Köprü: 19.yüzyıldan 20. Yüzyıla Piyano Gülru Ensari & Herbert Schuch

24 December 2014 Wednesday

Kemal Cem Yılmaz Resitali
Mozart Gecesi
Şef Orhun Orhon
Piyano Hüseyin Sermet
Akdeniz Filarmoni Orkestrası

25 November 2014 Tuesday

Köprü: Klasikten Romantiğe Piyano Giovanni Nesi & Doruk Görkem Tokur

26 November 2014 Wednesday

Fahir Atakoğlu & Ara Dinkjian

27 November 2014 Thursday

Gershwin Gecesi
Şef Gürer Aykal
Piyano Freddy Kempf
Akdeniz Filarmoni Orkestrası

28 November 2014 Friday

Kandemir Basmacıoğlu Resitali

29 November 2014 Saturday

Kapanış Konseri "The 5 Browns"

APF'14

Michel Camilo, Vladimir Spivakov, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Serenad Bağcan, Gergely Boganyi ve Gabor Boldoczki, Meral Güneyman, Ferhan & Ferzan Önder, Werner Bärtschi, Kheops Ensemble, Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, Andrea Lucchesini, Rosa Torres Pardo ve Rocio Marquez Limon, Michel Camilo.

APF'13

17 November 2012 Saturday

Fazıl Say (Mezopotamya Senfonisi)
Gürer Aykal
Carolina Eyck
Çağatay Akyol
Bülent Evcil
BİFO

18 November 2012 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler Konseri
Cem Esen
Can Çakmur
Merve Ayyıldız

20 November 2012 Tuesday

Andante Gecesi
Özgür Aydın & Midori

22 November 2012 Thursday

Andreas Staier / Diabelli

24 November 2012 Saturday

Buika
Ivan Melon
Antonio Cuenca
Ramon Porrina

26 November 2012 Monday

Gülsin Onay / Debussy

28 November 2012 Wednesday

Chick Corea Trio
Cristian McBride
Branın Blade

30 November 2012 Friday

Tzimon Barto

02 December 2012 Sunday

Brad Mehldau Trio
Larry Granadier
Jeff Ballard

04 December 2012 Tuesday

Anastasios Pappas

06 December 2012 Thursday

Gidin Kremer Trio
Khatia Buniastishvili
Giedre Divranauskaite

08 December 2012 Saturday

Vadimir Spivakov
Philipp Kopachevsky
Kulis Schasnovich. Dmitry Prokofiev
Matvey Sherling
Moskova Virtüözleri

APF'12

26 November 2011 Saturday

Fazıl Say
Gabor Boldoczki
Gürer Aykal
ADSO
Burcu Karadağ
Hakan Güngör
Aykut Köselerli

27 November 2011 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler Konseri
Eylül Esme Bölücek.
Sazanına Rudanovskaya
Lara Melda
Ayşegül Yörükoğlu

29 November 2011 Tuesday

Labeque Kardeşler

01 December 2011 Thursday

Liszt Gecesi
Dezsö Ranki
Edit Klunkon

03 December 2011 Saturday

Aleksey Igudesman & Hyung-ki Joo
A Little Nightmare Music

05 December 2011 Monday

Caz Konseri
Michel Camilo Trio.
Charles Flores
Cliff Almond

07 December 2011 Wednesday

Nobuyuki Tsujii

09 December 2011 Friday

Makrokosmos
Ufuk&Bahar Döndürcü
Francois Volpe. Sebastien Cordier

11 December 2011 Sunday

Olli Mustoen

13 December 2011 Tuesday

Andante Gecesi
Birsen Ulucan
Elif Şahin
Syzmon Chojnacki

15 December 2011 Thursday

A Piano Abierto
Dorantes
Joaquin Grilo
Manuela Rios
Yels Heredia
Faikal Kourrich
Nano Pena

17 December 2011 Saturday

Vladimir Spivakov
Harika Hençler
Moskova Virtüözleri. Daniel Kharitov
Anastasia Kobekina
Sergey Finoedov

APF'11

26 November 2010 Friday

Fazıl Say
Patricia Kopatchinskaja
Howard Griffiths ADSO
Aykut Köselerli

28 November 2010 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler Gecesi
Hakan Aksoy
Barış Yılmaz
Miktar Mndoyants
Ferhat Altıntaş

30 November 2010 Tuesday

Berezovsky & Gindin Piano DUO

02 December 2010 Thursday

Andante Gecesi
Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu & Borusan Quartet (Çağ Erçeğ, Efdal Altun, Eşen Kıvrak, Olgu Kızılay)

04 December 2010 Saturday

Aleksey Igudesman & Hyung-ki Joo
A Little Nightmare Music

06 December 2010 Monday

Theodorakis Gecesi
Andreas Boutsikakis ve Grubu
Alexandra Gravas
Sofya Tselepidou
Gaspların Mammasa
Alexandros Glykiotis

08 December 2010 Wednesday

Caz Konseri
Yosuke Yamashita & Jazz Band.
Keisuke Ohta
Yuya Yoneda
Hiroshi Kumamoto

10 December 2010 Friday

Piano Flamenco Session
Dorantes with Gayvan & Grilo

12 December 2010 Sunday

Schumann Gecesi
David Greilsammer & Yeol Eum Son

14 December 2010 Tuesday

Chopin Gecesi. İbrahim Yazıcı. Emre Şen. Naci Özgüç. Emre Eivar ADSO

16 December 2010 Thursday

Moskova Vitüözleri
Vladimir Spivakov & Michail Lindsky. Alevtina Yarovaya
Kiril Soldatov

APF'10

05 November 2009 Thursday

Fazıl Say ve Arkadaşları Genco Erkal/Cihat Aşkın/Çağ Erçağ
Tolga Salman/Güvenç Dağüstün/Burcu Karadağ/Berfin Aksu/Sesim Bezdüz

07 November 2009 Saturday

Çigan Gecesi
Kopatchinskaja Family
Patricia Kopatchinskaja
Emillia Kopatchinskaja
Viktor Kopatchinsky
Mihaela Ursuleasa

08 November 2009 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler Konseri
Dmitry Mayboroda
Iraz Yıldız
Salihcan Gevrek
Cem Oslu

09 November 2009 Monday

Beethoven Gecesi
Gürer Aykal
Rengim Gökmen
Gülsin Onay
Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu
ANTDBOB orkestrası

11 November 2009 Wednesday

Michel Camilo

13 November 2009 Friday

Pavel Kasparov

15 November 2009 Sunday

Vladimir Spivakov
Olga Kern
Moskova Virtüözleri Quintet

17 November 2009 Tuesday

Aziza Mustafa Zadeh Jazz Trio ( Ralf Cetto / Simon Zimbardo)

19 November 2009 Thursday

4 Piyano 1 Şef
Alexander Gindin
Janis Vakarelis
David Lively
Cyprien Katsaris
Şef:Artem Markim

21 November 2009 Saturday

Miriam Mendez
Mozart Sueno Flamenco

APF'09

08 November 2008 Saturday

Fazıl Say
Gürer Aykal
ANTDOB Orkestra ve Korosu

09 November 2008 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler Konseri
Özgün Günhan
Can Aladağlı
Mertol Demirelli
Ksenia Rodionovs

11 November 2008 Tuesday

Lise de la Salle

13 November 2008 Thursday

Hüseyin Servet

15 November 2008 Saturday

Gonzalo Rubalcaba Caz Konseri

17 November 2008 Monday

Vladimir Spivakov Alexander Gindin Moskova Virtüözleri

19 November 2008 Wednesday

Sa Chen

21 November 2008 Friday

I've Pogorelich

23 November 2008 Sunday

Chano Daminguez Piyano Flamenco

APF'08

17 November 2008 Monday

Fazıl Say
Vladimir Spivakov
Moskova virtüözleri

18 November 2007 Sunday

Genç yetenekler
Ilter Vurucu
Çağdaş Dönmezer
Buğra Yüksel
Vitaly Pisarenko

20 November 2007 Tuesday

Iberia Müzik ve Dans Resitali
Rosa Torres
Pardo Lola Greco

22 November 2007 Thursday

Saygun Gecesi
Gülsin Onay
Misha Dadic
M Şef Güral Aykal
Antalya Devlet Opera ve Balesi

24 November 2007 Saturday

Azize Mustafa azaden

26 November 2007 Monday

Back-Mevlana Simyacı
Chrishtopher Hinterhuber
Tulun Tırpan
Ayşen Zülfikar

28 November 2007 Wednesday

Rüya Taner
Siiri Schütz

29 November 2007 Thursday

Fahir Atakoğlu
Sertap Erener

APF'07

03 November 2006 Friday

Fazıl Say

04 November 2006 Saturday

Fazıl Say
Patricia Kopatchinskaja
Patara Quartet

05 November 2006 Sunday

Genç Yetenekler

09 November 2006 Thursday

Michael Camilo & Tomatito

11 November 2006 Saturday

Mozart'a Giden Yollar

14 November 2006 Tuesday

Ju Hee Süha
Gülsin Onay

17 November 2006 Friday

Jean Philippe Collard

21 November 2006 Tuesday

Verdi Erman

25 November 2006 Saturday

Miriam Mendez

APF'06

13 October 2005 Thursday

Fazıl Say

14 October 2005 Friday

Fazıl Say

16 October 2005 Sunday

Kerem Görsev

19 October 2005 Wednesday

Uri Caine

21 October 2005 Friday

Montajda Trio

23 October 2005 Sunday

Sahin Novraslı Jazz Trio

25 October 2005 Tuesday

Emre Elivar

26 October 2005 Wednesday

Özgür Aydın

APF'05

15 October 2004 Friday

Fazıl Say

16 October 2004 Saturday

Fazıl Say

17 October 2004 Sunday

Fazıl Say

19 October 2004 Tuesday

Ferhan-Ferzan Önder

21 October 2004 Thursday

Mehmet Okanşar

23 October 2004 Saturday

Roland Batik

25 October 2004 Monday

Hande Dalkılıç

APF'04

Gülsin Onay, Muhiddin Demiriz, Özgür Aydın, Tuluğ Tırpan, Jose Ritmo.

APF'03

01 May 2002 Wednesday

Fazıl Say

03 May 2002 Friday

B. Büyükyıldırım

05 May 2002 Sunday

Emre Şen

7 2002 Wednesday

Kerem Görsev

APF'02

03 May 2001 Thursday

Emre Elivar

05 May 2001 Saturday

Toros Can

07 May 2001 Monday

Fazıl Say

APF'01

02 May 2000 Tuesday

Ayşegül Sarıca

03 May 2000 Wednesday

Aris Galufakis

04 May 2000 Thursday

İdil Biret

SOUNDS FROM SPAIN

Piano Flamenco

MANOLO CARRASCO

1 NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 20:30

Aspendos Hall

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GÜRER AYKAL

STéPHANE BLET

4 NOVEMBER SATURDAY 20:30

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Aspendos Hall

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In Memory of Kamuran Gündemir - Recital

CEM ESEN

8 NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 20:30

Perge Hall

Turkish Composers

GÜRER AYKAL

EMRE ELİVAR

10 NOVEMBER SUNDAY 20:30

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Aspendos Hall

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Fusion Flamenco Jazz

ARIADNA CASTELLANOS

17 NOVEMBER SUNDAY 20:30

Aspendos Hall

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Symphonic Anatolian Rock

HAKAN ŞENSOY

ÇAĞ ERÇAĞ & NURKAN RENDA

22 NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 20:30

Antalya State Symphony Orchestra

Aspendos Hall

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Passionate Voice of Romance

LUZ CASAL

26 NOVEMBER SUNDAY 20:30

Aspendos Hall

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Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra

29 NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 20:30

Aspendos Hall

Free

LEONARD SLATKIN

Güher & Süher PEKİNEL

01 DECEMBER SUNDAY 20:30

Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra

Aspendos Hall

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T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Katkılarıyla
Contact
Meltem Mh. Sakıp Sabancı Bulv.
Atatürk Kültür Parkı İçi
AKM No:7 Muratpaşa / Antalya

Mail: info@apf.com.tr