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.
