Türkiye's Voices Reach Romania

Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra Represents Türkiye for the First Time at the George Enescu Festival

This time, Türkiye's music will echo on the banks of the Danube. After years of performing around the world, the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra will now represent Türkiye at the George Enescu Festival, one of Romania's most established artistic gatherings. From September 7th to 12th, the sounds that will echo from Constanta to Târgu Mureș and Craiova will be the melody not only of notes but also of friendships. Under the baton of conductor Hasan Niyazi Tura, accompanied by world-renowned Romanian violinist Vlad Stanculeasa, Enescu, Mendelssohn, Cemal Reşit Rey, and Beethoven will come together, bringing together the past and the present, East and West on the same stage.

Bridges of Culture Are Built with Music

This festival, which opened its doors to a Turkish orchestra for the first time in its 67-year history, is one of the most powerful examples of the invisible power that art brings to diplomacy. As Aycan Küçüközkan, Director of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IDSO), points out, this invitation is not just a series of concerts; it's the resonance of friendship between our two countries, the interweaving of cultures.

The festival, held on the 70th anniversary of George Enescu's death, brings together over 4,000 artists and over 95 concerts. Melodies rising from Bucharest combine with orchestras from around the world. On that grand stage, the voice of Türkiye, the memory of Istanbul, and the legacy of Anatolia take their place.

The roots of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra stretch back to the Imperial Mızıkâ-i Hümâyun, founded by Donizetti Pasha in 1827; this is a legacy carried forward from the City Orchestra, which was born under the direction of Cemal Reşit Rey. It is the continuation of a path stretching from Yehudi Menuhin to Pavarotti, from José Carreras to Fazıl Say. Now, this path leads to a new stop in Romania.

And this sentence, spoken through the language of music, is confirmed once again: Art is the shortest path to the hearts of nations.