Turkish American Arts Society of New York

Program Highlights

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 (“Turkish”) Featuring violin virtuoso Yiğit Karataş Muammer Sun – Anatolian Suite A vibrant fusion of Western and Anatolian melodies Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 One of Mozart’s most iconic an passionate symphonies

Date & Time:

Sunday, December 18, 2024, 8 PM

Location

Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall

57th Street and Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019

Performers

New Manhattan Sinfonietta

Conducted by Gürer Aykal

Violin Soloist: Yiğit Karataş

New Manhattan Sinfonietta (NMS)

New Manhattan Sinfonietta (NMS) is a New York City based orchestra founded by world renowned Turkish maestro Mr. Gürer Aykal. New Manhattan Sinfonietta orchestra will proudly perform concerts at a caliber that will match the taste and sophistication of the audiences in and out of New York. Mr. Aykal has enthusiastically established the New Manhattan Sinfonietta as his final orchestra project. New Manhattan Sinfornietta was originally conceived in 2017 by Gurer Aykal in collaboration with Turkish American Arts Society of New York (TAASNY). NMS will seek to promote Turkish culture through the performance of Turkish inspired compositions by Turkish musicians. Although not exclusive to Turks, the orchestra is intended to give a home to Turkish musicians who wish to perform regularly in the United States. NMS made its world premiere on November 29th, 2018 at the prestigious Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. “A Call for World Peace” concert was conducted by Mr. Seiji Mukaiyama, a Japanese composer and conductor, and honored the exemplary friendship between Turkey and Japan.

On February 8th, 2020 NMS is making its debut with Gurer Aykal in Carnegie Hall. At “Anatolian Inspirations” concert, Maestro Gurer Aykal will be conducting his orchestra for the first time with a repertoire that includes “Esintiler” (Inspirations) by a highly regarded Turkish composer, Ferit Tuzun, along with Mozart and Beethoven. NMS has the vision to continue to perform multiple concerts every year that includes the works of Turkish composers; thereby introducing them to the audiences around the world. Adopting the motto “diversity is the ultimate wealth in arts”, NMS aims at bringing exceptionally talented musicians and composers around the world on stage.

GÜRER AYKAL
Founder and Principal Conductor

Gürer Aykal, the music director and the conductor of the New Manhattan Sinfonietta Orchestra, started his music education at the Ankara State Conservatoire studying violin with Necdet Remzi Atak and composition with Adnan Saygun. Between 1969 and 1971, he continued his education at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music where he had the opportunity to work with prominent conductors such as George Hurst and Sir André Previn. Subsequently, he studied two years in Italy where he served as assistant to Franco Ferrara in the Academia of Santa Cecilia in Rome. He was designated with the “Diploma di Merito” for conducting by the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. Meanwhile, he studied Gregorian music and Renaissance polyphony with Prof. Bertolucci in Musica di Sacra in Vatican.

In 1975, Gürer Aykal was appointed as the Principal Conductor of the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra and served as the General Director of the State Opera and Ballet. Meanwhile, together with Suna Kan, he established the Ankara Chamber Orchestra, which he conducted both in Turkey and in more than one hundred concerts abroad. He also founded and helped develop the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra. Gürer Aykal performed with the leading symphonic orchestras of Europe including the English Chamber Orchestra and enjoyed tenure with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra as their Principal Conductor. Between 1991 and 2003 he served as the General Music Director and Principal Conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra of Texas with which he toured Germany and gave thirteen successful concerts.

He has recorded the works of a wide range of composers including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Smetana, Ravel, Erkin and Saygun with a number of prominent orchestras, such as the London Philharmonic, Norddeutscher Rundfunk Radiophilharmonie NDR, the Ankara Chamber Orchestra, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Gürer Aykal, the founder of Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and its General Music Director and Principal Conductor since 1999, became their honorary conductor in 2008. He was decorated with the “State Artist” title by the Turkish Government in 1981, received the Finnish State Medal in May 2008 for his contributions to cultural cooperation between Turkey and Finland. He also was nominated as “Artist of the Year” by Turkish Journalists Association in 1999 for “his successful efforts in promoting modern Turkish Republic through music both at home and abroad”. Gürer Aykal was also honored with the International Prize for the Performing Arts category by Latium between Europe and the Mediterranean on July 3, 2008. The award-giving ceremony was held in Rome at Complesso del Vittoriano.