Ankara to host artists from around the world

ANKARA

The 40th International Ankara Music Festival, organized by the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation, is set to welcome artists from around the world to the capital from April 4 to 30.

Launched with state support to promote polyphonic music in Türkiye, the festival has, for four decades, remained one of the capital’s key cultural events, bringing together international performers and enriching the city’s artistic life.

This year’s program will feature more than 800 artists from 17 countries, offering a diverse lineup, including symphony, opera, ballet, chamber music and jazz concerts.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, foundation Secretary-General Pınar Alpay Yüksel said the festival was first established 40 years ago at the request of the Foreign Ministry and the Culture and Tourism Ministry, and has since been sustained by the foundation.

Describing the event as a mission undertaken on behalf of Ankara, Yüksel said the festival continues with determination and enthusiasm to enrich the city’s cultural life and build bridges with the international arts scene.

“Ankara is the city where Türkiye’s polyphonic music movement began,” Yüksel noted, adding that early artists, institutions and ensembles spread from the capital across the country.

She emphasized that institutions such as the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Ankara State Opera and Ballet and conservatories form the backbone of this legacy, while underlining the importance of audiences in giving meaning to performances.

The festival will also honor its founders, with the opening concert on April 4 dedicated to Cenap And and the closing concert on April 30 commemorating Mehmet Başman.

Highlighting the program’s international dimension, Yüksel said several “friendship concerts” will be held, featuring ensembles such as the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra accompanied by Georgian vocal groups, Indonesia’s Jakarta Orchestra and Batavia Madrigal Singers, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan.

The festival will also mark the 200th anniversary of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra at its closing concert.

Yüksel underlined the festival’s commitment to supporting young talent and fostering international collaboration, noting that it provides opportunities for emerging artists to perform on global platforms.

Among the highlights, concerts by Ensemble Klasik Keyifler and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra will include world premieres of commissioned works by Turkish composers, including Ankara-based composers Erberk Eryılmaz and Onur Türkmen.

The program will also feature productions by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet, including “Jeanne d’Arc Ballet” and “La Boheme Opera,” staged at the historic Opera House, alongside chamber music concerts at the State Painting and Sculpture Museum.

In addition, the festival will host classical guitar performances, piano recitals and jazz concerts by ensembles from Austria and the United States, catering to Ankara’s diverse music audience.

Marking its 40th anniversary, the festival will present four special events as complementary performances supported by local authorities, the private sector and international partners.

Yüksel also noted that the festival has long supported young musicians through masterclasses, workshops and free access for conservatory students, adding that it has helped some students pursue education abroad through connections established during the event.

Festival details, including the full program and participating artists, are available on the official website and the foundation’s social media accounts.