İzmir Fest to welcome New York orchestra

İZMİR - Anatolia News Agency

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra will give the first concert of the 27th International İzmir Festival.

The first concert of the 27th International İzmir Festival, organized by the İzmir Culture, Arts and Education Foundation (İKSEV) with support from various organizations, will be performed by the 189-year-old New York Philharmonic Orchestra on May 2.

The oldest orchestra in the United States, the New York Philharmonic will be in the city for the first concert of its 2013 Europe-Spring tour. The orchestra will be conducted by music director Alan Gilber with the accompaniment of Emanuel Ax, who is regarded as one of the world’s best pianists.

The concert, which will take place at the Ahmet Adnan Saygun Art Center, will feature Ax performing Mozart’s piano concerto No. 25. In the second part of the concert, the orchestra will play the third symphony that Anton Bruckner dedicated to Wagner.

The opening concert of the festival will be given on May 6 by the artists of the İzmir State Opera and Ballet (İZDOB), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The İZDOB artists will perform works by Wagner and Verdi at the ancient theater of Ephesus.

During the festival, art lovers will have a chance to see the “Minquet Quartet” at Bergama Kızılavlu; the “Harlem Dance Theater” at the Kültürpark Open Air Theater; famous cellist Mischa Maisky with Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra at the Ephesus Library; the Vienna Opera’s mezzosoprano Adrineh Simonian with Amarcord Wien at Ephesus Odeon; viola da gamba artist at historical Kemeralti Bazaar; and Lee Santana and the İzmir Baroque Group and Polish Apollon Musagete Quartet at the closing concert.