Istanbul Opera Festival to com with performances for everyone

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The third International Istanbul Opera Festival will host performances at Istanbul’s best historical and authentic venues, such as Hagia Irene and Topkapı Palace.

Being one of the biggest organizations of the Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet, the Istanbul International Opera Festival will kick off July 7 and host many opera performances and artists until July 19.

The third International Istanbul Opera Festival will host performances at Istanbul’s best historical and authentic venues, such as Hagia Irene and Topkapı Palace.

A press conference, which was organized in Çırağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, was held to reveal this year’s program. The festival, which includes opera pieces that are subject to Turkish culture and lifestyles, aims to combine them with this city’s ambience and authentic places.

Speaking during the press conference, State Opera and Ballet Managing Director and Art Director Rengim Gökmen said the festival was held for the first time during the European Culture Capital in 2010.

The festival aims to bring opera beyond the indoor boundaries of concert halls to the outdoors, in order to unite it with the public in the magical and historical atmosphere of Istanbul, said Gökmen.

The festival attracts locals of Istanbul as well as an audience of all ages from places throughout the world, becoming a united whole within the historical places of the city.

The main aim of the festival is to present Istanbul to the international art scene through its opera culture, Gökmen said

“In its third year the festival will once again carry opera performances to the historical venues of Istanbul,” said Gökmen, adding that opera was the mixture of theater, music, literature and classical arts.

Preparations for the festival started one year ago. “At this point I really need to emphasize that Istanbul needs a real opera and ballet season,” said Gökmen.

The festival, which takes place during the summer months, is a real art festival, he said. According to Gökmen, many people in society think opera is only for those who can understand and appreciate the art form, but this is wrong. “Opera is for everyone,” he said.

Denizbank, the festival’s sponsor, is happy to support culture and arts festivals such as the Istanbul International Opera Festival, Denizbank Managing Director Hakan Ates said at the same press conference.

The Istanbul International Opera Festival is increasing its effect with every year, Ateş said, and has started to become a festival that affects every country in the world.
There is also a festival being held in support of the Opera Festival: the International Bodrum Ballet Festival, which will be organized between August 8 and 24 in the Aegean province of Bodrum, Ateş said.

Five different opera performances

This year, the Opera Festival will host five different opera performances in four different venues. The festival’s motto remains: “Opera for everyone from 7 to 77.”

The festival’s venues will be the Topkapı Palace, the Hagia Irene, the Haliç Congress Center, the Kadıköy Süreyya Opera Stage and the Bahçeşehir Culture and Art Center.

The festival will open with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at the Haliç Congress Center on July 7.

“Abduction from Seraglio,” will take place in three acts at Topkapı Palace on July 9, 10 and 11.

İzmir State Opera and Ballet’s three-act “IV Murad” opera will take place July 14 and 15 at Topkapı Palace.

Istanbul State Opera’s two-act “Yıldırım Beyazid” will be performed at Kadıköy Süreyya Opera Stage July 16 and 18.

Antalya State Opera and Ballet will stage “Aşkı- Memnu” (Forbidden Love) in two acts, produced by Selman Ada. The famous opera performance will take place in Bahçeşehir Culture and Arts Center.

World renowned tenor Jose Cura will visit Istanbul for the festival. Cura will take the stage on July 12 with Ankara State Opera and Ballet artist Feryal Türkoğlu. They will be performing with the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet team at Hagia Irene. The conductor of the performance will be Mario De Rose.