Turkey’s first green festival kicks off
ISTANBUL
The International Gümüşlük Music Festival, which collaborates with the Dutch Embassy in Ankara and the Dutch Consulate General in Istanbul, is organizing the first green festival in Turkey.
For the first time this year, the power needs of the festival are supplied by green energy generated by solar panels. With only a few examples in the world, the festival opens a brand-new era for Turkey.
Named after the fishing village of Gümüşlük in the southwestern resort town of Bodrum, the International Gümüşlük Music Festival, under the artistic advisory of Gülsin Onay and artistic direction of Eren Levendoğlu, was first organized in 2004. Taking all the necessary health measures specified in the controlled normalization process, the festival once again opened its doors on Aug. 17 to art lovers in Bodrum with the concert of Dutch musicians Rosanne Philippens & Michail Lifits.
The festival, which has hosted world-renowned classical music and jazz artists for 17 years in Bodrum, also offers educational opportunities for young musicians within the scope of the Gümüşlük Festival Academy. For the first time this year, the festival program includes a film selection focusing on several themes including music, environment and children, curated by Azize Tan, the project director of Başka Sinema.
The festival program presents an exhibition series entitled “Gümüşlük, Woman, and Musicians,” which includes the works of Civan Canova, Yiğit Uygur and a collective exhibition of 42 photographers organized by the Herodotus Academy. Parallel events will take place throughout the festival to discuss environmental and socio-economic issues.
“Despite the worldwide fallout of COVID-19 pandemic, we are in the privileged position this year for organizing a festival where all the power needs will be covered using green energy. Moving forward, our goal will be to fulfill the festival’s commitment to become eco-friendlier and to further expand the eco-friendly festival network in Turkey,” said Levendoğlu.
The festival lineup includes the French music professor and pianist Jean-Marc Luisada, Azerbaijani cellist Jamal Aliyev, the young Turkish pianist Can Çakmur, violinist Deniz Şensoy, and one of Holland’s leading jazz quartets, Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet. The concert program also includes a series of concert screenings. Israeli singer and saxophone player Daniel Zamir’s performance and Abate Berihun & Addis Ken Project’s performance will be using the Green Screen on the Water, all of whose energy will be supplied by green energy and which includes films focusing on topics around music and children, as well as films by directors living in Bodrum and films addressing the socio-cultural characteristics of the resort city.
There will also be free screenings for children throughout the festival, which will end with the performance of Turkey’s leading pianist Onay, violinist Erkin Onay and young Turkish cellist Çağ Erçağ on Sept. 15 at the Ancient Stone Quarry. The closing concert will be a tribute to the phenomenal young cellist Benyamin Sönmez, who died in 2011.
[HH] Gümüşlük Festival Academy
Organized by the Bodrum Classical Musical Foundation, the Gümüşlük Festival Academy (GFA) continues to engage with young artists despite the physical difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year 11 students will participate in the master classes in the field of piano and a special concert will take place at Antique Stone Quarry on the last day of the master class. This year master classes will be streamed online to reach broader audience.
The concert program of the festival is as follows:
Jean-Marc Luisada, Piano on Sand (Aug. 25), Can Çakmur - Deniz Şensoy - Jamal Aliyev Trio (Aug. 31), Yuri Honing Acoustic Quartet (Sept. 6), Daniel Zamir Special Screening (Sept. 8), Abate Berihun & ADDIS KEN Project Special Screening (Sept. 12) and Çağ Erçağ - Erkin Onay - Gülsin Onay (Sept. 15).
For further information, visit www.gumuslukfestival.org