On May 16, 2019 at 7.00 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, the 20th-century Turkish music will be performed by invited artists from Turkey and the Jerzy Semkow Polish Orchestra Sinfonia Iuventus. The concert under the patronage of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Poland is part of the celebrations of the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Turkey.
A prominent figure on the Turkish musical scene was Cemal Reşit Rey, regarded as a pioneer of a movement which brought into Turkey artistic music influenced by Western trends in the wake of the country’s ‘Westernisation’ under the rule of Kemal Atatürk. In his rich oeuvre, he gave a special place to stage works – operas and operettas, which enjoy immense popularity. One of the prominent pieces of orchestral music is his symphonic rhapsody entitled Türkiye (Turkey), in ten colourful images contrasted by tempo and nature, and influenced by motifs from Turkey’s native music – the three selected episodes will be performed during the concert.
Together with four other composers, Rey co-founded an informal group known as the ‘Turkish Five’. His peer Hasan Ferit Alnar, other member of the group, was particularly fascinated by the possibilities of stylisation and harmonisation of traditional music and the use of native instruments. One of the results of this fascination was his concerto for a Turkish zither – kanun, still very popular nowadays. Of more universal nature is Alnar’s Cello Concerto, a melodious and expressive piece which includes themes with scales and rhythms typical for the Orient. During the concert on 16 May, the concerto will see its first performance outside Turkey.
The solo part will be performed by a Turkish cellist Can Kehri, a summa cum laude graduate of Professor Reşit Erzin’s cello class at the Istanbul Conservatory, and Professor Tomasz Strahl’s student at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. As a soloist and chamber musician, he is also a member of the cello section of the Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra. The concert will be conducted by Can Okan, a recognised young-generation Turkish conductor and pianist.
Free admission with ticket resarvation! (
Media patronage: Polish Music Information Centre POLMIC.
More information at: https://sinfoniaiuventus.pl/
