The Izmir State Symphony Orchestra held a New Year Concert in Beijing as part of its China tour.
The concert occurred at the historic Minzu Cultural Palace in Beijing, featuring the orchestra under the baton of Croatian conductor Miran Vaupotić, with Turkish pianist Can Çakmur as the soloist.
The program included Sergei Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini”, selections from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake ballet, and pieces from Johann Strauss’s “Waltzes”.
The audience also enjoyed works by Chinese composers and the Turkish composer Ferit Tüzün’s “Çay’da Çıra”. The concert attracted significant attention from Chinese music enthusiasts and Turkish expatriates living in Beijing.
A Milestone in the 50th Year of the Orchestra
Özge Tanrıver, the Director of the Izmir State Symphony Orchestra, highlighted that the orchestra is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and performing in China for the first time. “Chinese audiences welcomed us warmly and curiously. We were delighted by our interactions with them,” she said.
Tanrıver noted that the China tour includes eight concerts in eight cities, with the Beijing concert marking the fourth performance. “We tailored our program specifically for these concerts,” she added.
Pianist Can Çakmur, who performed as a soloist, remarked on the colorful and well-rounded concert program and mentioned the demanding schedule of the tour. He expressed his appreciation for the positive response and interest Chinese audiences showed.
“We performed in three northern cities of the country,” Çakmur said, adding, “Except for Yinchuan, we learned that international orchestras rarely give concerts in the other two cities. We could witness this firsthand. In those cities, there was a palpable excitement and a strong interest in experiencing something new. Our interactions with the audience showed genuine curiosity toward a group coming from the West.”
Çakmur emphasized that having a Turkish orchestra perform a New Year Concert in China was a valuable experience and expressed his hope for similar events in the future.
Cultural Exchange and Future Projects
Zekeriya Türkmen, the representative of LocksBridge, the company organizing the tour, and its manager underlined the company’s mission of cultural entrepreneurship by connecting Turkish artists with global audiences. He acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and partnerships in China, adding that they were pleased with the warm reception and positive feedback from Chinese audiences. Türkmen expressed a desire to continue realizing similar projects in the future.
Eight Concerts in Eight Cities Across China
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Izmir State Symphony Orchestra is performing in eight cities across China between December 25, 2024, and January 8, 2025, as part of the tour organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The orchestra performed in Linyi, Shandong Province, on December 27; Handan, Hebei Province, on December 28; and Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on December 31.
Following the New Year Concert in Beijing, the orchestra will perform in Shanghai on January 3; Xiamen, Fujian Province, on January 4; Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, on January 5; and Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on January 7.
Source: CGTNTÜRK
