The Gümüşlük International Classical Music Festival is held in the small fishing village of Gümüşlük on the Bodrum peninsula. It began in 2004 as a series of concerts and has grown to be a meeting place for internationally renowned musicians and up-and-coming performers.
The festival is held in the ancient stone quarry in Koyunbaba, but performances also take place on the sand and in the sea and in nearby hotels and restaurants and various venues around the Bodrum peninsula.
The pianist Gülsin Onay opened the festival on July 12 and closes it on September 6. She will be followed by such greats as the pianist Eser Öktem (August 1), the pianist Konstanze Eickhorst (August 2), the pianist Francesco Libetta (August 8) and the guitarist Begül Erhan (August 18) pictured above, among many others.
The 4 main events this year are the concerts on August 16, 20, 27 and 31.
The concert on the 16th will take place at the Stone quarries and brings together the conductor Lior Shambadal, Gülsin Onay, and two young prize winners of our Ahmed Adnan Saygun piano competition from two years ago, pianists Deniz Akalın and Tolga Atalay Ün. They will be performing symphonies and 3 piano concertos together with the Bodrum Chamber Orchestra.
The concert on the 20th is the Mathias Eick Quintet from Norway. This concert will take place on the ‘Suda’ stage at the festival centre. The 27th brings together ten of the top Turkish jazz artists and will also take place on the ‘’’Suda’ Stage. The concert on the 31st at the stone quarries is the Fidelio Trio from Ireland.
This year the festival has also set up a fund for students studying overseas. Turkish students studying abroad are struggling financially, due to the exchange rates. The ‘GFA Support Fund’ hopes to raise money for these students.
Visit the festival website to see the full programme and to learn more about the workshops and competitions taking place under the auspices of the festival.
Issue 66, December 2023
Turkey’s Centenary Issue
