The 28th edition of the Izmir Festival will be held from 14th June to 3rd September. The opening concert with the participation of the great Polish conductor Krzysztof Penderecki and the Sinfonia Varsovia orchestra and the famous Turkish pianist Hüseyin Sermet, will be performed at the Great Theatre in Ephesus.
The Sinfonia Varsovia, one of the worldwide known institutions in Poland, performs with pianist Huseyin Sermet under the conduct of Krzysztof Penderecki, one of the most efficient composers of the 20th century. […] [it] has performed with many eminent soloists in the most prestigious venues all over the world and completed over 200 recordings. At this special concert, the Sinfonia Varsovia will perform under the composer and the conductor Krzysztof Penderecki who served as musical and artistic director between the years 1997 and 2008, and is classified as one of the most creative artists in our day. – says the festival website.
During the concert, the Sinfonia Varsovia with Sermet will perform two Beethoven masterpieces: the Prometheus Overture and Piano Concerto No. 5, as well as Penderecki’s Symphony No. 2.
Sinfonia Varsovia also performed as part of the 42nd Istanbul International Music Festival on 13 June, 2014. Visit event page here.
18 June, 21:30 - Alla Turca Alla Polacca
Arte dei Suonatori, a pioneering group of Baroque musicians in Poland, performs with violin virtuoso Rachel Podger at the 28th Izmir Festival. Taking place at the Library of Celsus, this special concert will include not only the works of well-known composers such as Telemann, Haydn and Mozart, but also pieces from Ottoman Turkey and Poland. Consisting of talented virtuoso musicians, the Arte dei Suonatori has participated at various festivals in Poland and cooperated with musicians from Germany, England, Holland, France, and Ireland.
09 July, 21:30 - Lilianna Zalesińska & Szczepan Konczal
Lilianna Zalesińska (mezzosoprano) with Szczepan Konczal (piano) will perform at the St. John Baptist Church in Şirince, Izmir.
Lilianna Zalesińska is a well-known singer on the contemporary music scene in Poland. She has had pieces of music written especially for her by composers, and participated in many music festivals (e.g. Warsaw Autumn 2011, 2012), as well as winning many awards . She was many times praised with awards for her song interpretation like during Lieduo Competition in Cologne/Germany or Polish Artistic Song Competition in Warsaw. With over 40 solo recitals she has performed in number of countries across Europe. In 2012 she has appeared in the recital during the long lasting Liederabend cycle under the patronage of eminent figures.
Szczepan Konczal is a Polish pianist, born in 1985 in Katowice. He graduated with the highest distinction (Primus Inter Pares medal) from the Academy of Music in Katowice, where he studied under Prof. Józef Stompel’s guidance. Konczal has been a prize-winner of several significant piano competitions. He has performed with world-renowned orchestras such as Sinfonia Varsovia, Silesian Philharmonic, Toruń Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Gulbenkian, Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Izmir State Symphony Orchestra, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Filarmonica Banatul and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, among others.
The International Izmir Festival has proudly provided opportunities to numerous world renowned artists to perform at unique historical venues over its 27 years, reaching an audience of millions. As a festival of great prestige and high artistic standards, it has been organized in Izmir, a city located on the Aegean Coast in the middle of several ancient historical places, which was also home to Epic poet Homer and famous philosopher Heraclitus.
The International Izmir Festival is organized as part of the 2014 cultural programme celebrating 600 years of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Poland. The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as well as Culture.pl support the event.
Edited by K.M. and E.M. 28.05.2014