AKM will keep its finger on the pulse of Istanbul's culture and arts in the new season!

Throughout the season, the full spectrum of art will come together on the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) stages with world-renowned operas, ballets, concerts, exhibitions, and talks. Bringing together the enthusiasm of the Republic, the elegance of classical music, and the dynamism of contemporary art, the new season will once again place the AKM at the center of Türkiye's cultural and artistic scene.

The Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), Istanbul's heart of culture and arts, has welcomed the 2025-2026 art season. Throughout the season, a program packed with world-renowned operas, ballets, concerts, exhibitions, and talks awaits art lovers. In addition to classical works that have resonated on world stages, the AKM will also host special thematic concerts and performances.

The new season kicked off with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra's (IDSO) "Denizbank Concerts Season Opening Concert." In this season's first concert, the orchestra, under the baton of Italian conductor Antonio Pirolli, took music lovers on a captivating journey.

IDSO will offer a musical feast to art lovers with concerts conducted by important conductors throughout the season.

REPUBLICAN SPIRIT AT AKM

In the new season, the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) will be performing with a special repertoire throughout October, embodying the spirit of the Republic. The Republic Day Concert, to be held on October 24th as part of the İDSO Denizbank Concerts program and conducted by Hasan Niyazi Tura, will feature pianist Can Saraç, who, despite being only eighteen years old, has already garnered numerous prestigious awards, performing the Piano Concerto by Ulvi Cemal Erkin, one of the Republic's first composers.

IDSO will bring the sounds of Turkish tango from the Republican era to the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) on October 31st. Accompanied by an orchestra led by Hakan Şensoy, soloists Ezgi Köker and Tevfik Rodos will perform pieces that stand as a tribute to Türkiye's early tango composers.

The "Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra Republic Day AXA Türkiye Concert" to be held on October 26 will bring together the joy of the 102nd anniversary of our Republic with the unifying power of music.

The State Folk Dance Ensemble, affiliated with the General Directorate of Fine Arts, will stage the play "Towards Victory, the Republic is Born" at the AKM Theatre Stage on October 29 as part of the events celebrating the 102nd anniversary of our Republic.

The TRT Istanbul Radio Jazz Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Cem Tuncer, will perform a distinguished repertoire of works by prominent composers from jazz history at the AKM Theater Hall on Thursday, October 30th, at 8:30 PM. In this concert, where the classical big band tradition meets the vibrant colors of modern jazz, the orchestra will combine the energy of swing with the elegance of contemporary arrangements.

EXHIBITIONS OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS PAINTERS ARE AT AKM

Opening at the Istanbul Culture Road Festival, "Salvador Dalí: Masterpieces of Surrealism," "Henri Matisse: Towards the Simplification of Shapes," and "Five Wonders of the Şakir Pasha Family" will be on display at the AKM until the end of the year.

The exhibition "Salvador Dalí: Masterpieces of Surrealism" opened at AKM Gallery and offers a journey into the depths of the imagination of Salvador Dalí, one of the most influential and extraordinary artists of the 20th century.

Reflecting the creative world of Matisse, one of the pioneers of modern art, the exhibition "Henri Matisse: Towards a Simplification of Shapes" takes art lovers into a different world at the AKM Multi-Purpose Hall.

The exhibition "Five Wonders of the Şakir Pasha Family," which brings together the works of five prominent artists from the Şakir Pasha family, one of the most influential families in Turkish art, is now available for art lovers at the AKM Music Platform. Shedding light on the development of Turkish modern art, the exhibition features works by Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, known as the Fisherman of Halicarnassus and known for his connection between literature and painting; Fahrelnissa Zeid, a pioneer of Turkish modern art; Aliye Berger, a pioneer of woodcut art in Türkiye; Nejad Melih Devrim, a leading figure in Turkish abstract expressionism; and Füreya Koral, a pioneer of modern ceramics.

Tchaikovsky's immortal work "Swan Lake" on the AKM stage

"Swan Lake," composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is one of the most famous works in the classical ballet repertoire. It tells the story of the young Prince Siegfried's love for Princess Odette, who has been transformed into a swan by the evil wizard Rothbart, and his struggle to break the curse.

The ballet was first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1877, with choreography by Julius Reisinger. However, its real success came in 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. This version remains the basis for most productions today.

It was first performed in Türkiye in Ankara in 1965, and then in Istanbul in 1971. The Istanbul State Opera and Ballet will restage the work with choreography by Ricardo Amarante in the 2025-2026 season.

ISTANBUL STATE OPERA AND BALLET BRINGS CLASSIC PRODUCTIONS TO THE STAGE

In its 2025–2026 season, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (IDOB) presents three powerful works of the performing arts at the Atatürk Cultural Center. Each immortalized in its own right, these works are poised to captivate audiences with the purity of love, humanity's existential quest, and the aesthetic power of tragedy.

Puccini's opera "La Bohème" explores the bohemian life of passionate love and friendship in 19th-century Paris, offering an emotional journey between the exuberance of youth and the inevitable realities of life. The characters, brought to life by Puccini's unforgettable melodies, both inspire hope and deeply move the audience.

Ahmed Adnan Saygun's opera "Gilgamesh" brings humanity's first written epic to the stage, exploring the desire for knowledge and existential questions with Sufi depth. Blending Eastern melodicism with Western polyphony, this epic opera, staged under Caner Akın's innovative direction, offers a visually revolutionary interpretation for the Turkish opera scene.

Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" returns to the stage as a masterpiece that stands at the pinnacle of classical ballet. Reinterpreting Shakespeare's immortal tragedy with Prokofiev's powerful music and Ricardo Amarante's original choreography for the dancers of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, the work presents a feast of love, hatred, and sacrifice told through the captivating language of dance.

With these three works, IDOB reminds audiences of the universal power, historical, and emotional depths of the performing arts. The elegance of love, the philosophy of quest, and the striking power of tragedy come to life on stage through music, opera, and dance.

THE ENTHUSIASM OF ART CONTINUES THIS SEASON AT THE ISTANBUL STATE THEATRE

This season, the Istanbul State Theatre not only presents art on stage, but also explores the conflicts within the individual's inner world, the search for justice, and the fragility of the human spirit.

The play "Outside the Gates" tells the story of Beckmann, a disabled and spiritually devastated German soldier after World War II, who becomes alienated from his own self and the changing society after the war and losses, and remains "outside all gates" in despair and loneliness.

"The Age of the Innocent, The Age of the Criminal" metaphorically explores the anonymization of crime, the arbitrary corruption of the very concept of crime, and the arbitrary corruption of the very concept of it in totalitarian regimes where the rule of law is nonexistent. The play explores the distortion of justice and the oppressive status of the individual, as an assassin attempts to force confessions from his accomplices, who are then locked in a cell with innocent people, and no one is allowed out until they confess.

Both plays powerfully portray the devastating effects of war and totalitarian oppression on the individual, with themes of crime, justice, alienation and despair.

ALL THE COLORS OF ART ARE TOGETHER AT AKM THIS SEASON

Throughout the season, the AKM will showcase a wide range of art forms, from theater and opera to folk music and special themed concerts, alongside a wide variety of classics. This season, the AKM will continue to cater to all aspects of cultural and artistic life, not just performing arts but also painting, photography, contemporary art, talks, and children's workshops.