Miniatures: Music from Anatolia
May 31, 2017November 29 2018 17:30
Program
Kii No Kuni Symphony
Fifth Movement “Friendship”
Part 1: “By Skin of Their Teeth”: Escape from Tehran
Part 2: “Ertugrul Trajectory”
Performers
New Manhattan Sinfonietta
Seiji Mukaiyama, Conductor
Emre Engin, Concertmaster
Nazli Alptekin, Soprano
The Dessoff Choirs
Circle Wind Boys & Girls Choir
Halit Mizrakli, Host
History
Ertuğrul, launched in 1863, was a sailing frigate of the Ottoman Navy. While returning from a goodwill voyage to Japan in 1890, she encountered a typhoon off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, subsequently drifted into a reef and sank. The shipwreck resulted in the loss of 533 sailors and officers, including Rear Admiral Ali Osman Pasha. Only 69 sailors and officers survived and returned home later aboard two Japanese corvettes. The event is still commemorated as a foundation stone of Japanese-Turkish friendship.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
“A Call for World Peace” concert is dedicated to Japan-Turkish friendship. The symphonic suite “Friendship”, composed and conducted by Seiji Mukaiyama, will be performed by New Manhattan Sinfonietta and accompanied by the Dessoff Choirs and Circle Wind Boys & Girls Choir. Symphony has two parts dedicated to true historical events that impacted many Japanese and Turkish lives. The first part titled “By Skin of Their Teeth: Escape from Tehran” is about rescuing Japanese lives from Tehran by Turkish aircraft in 1985. Second part titled “Ertugrul Trajectory”” is about the Ertugrul Frigate that sank off Japanese shore in 1890. In the accident, more than 500 of those on board were killed, and only 69 sailors were rescued by Japanese villagers. This concert honors acts of true friendship between two countries 100 years apart.
