BIPO and Borusan Quartet Returned From SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN To Great Acclaim

Borusan Quartet received high praise from audiences during its performances on 19 and 20 August in Sieseby and Niebüll, as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (SHMF), one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural events. This year, with the theme of “Istanbul”, the Quartet presented works that reflected elements of Turkish culture by Sadi Işılay, Burhan Öçal, and Kevser Hanım, arranged for string quartet, alongside compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven and Felix Mendelssohn.

Under the baton of Carlo Tenan, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra (BIPO) also returned with great success from its concerts on 1 and 2 September, where it performed with the Festival’s “Portrait Artist” Fazıl Say as soloist. Marking a milestone as the first Turkish orchestra to perform at Hamburg’s world-renowned Elbphilharmonie, BIPO accompanied Fazıl Say in a two-day concert program featuring works by Say, Ferit Tüzün, George Gershwin, Maurice Ravel, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

The Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, one of the world’s most distinguished international cultural events, marked its 40th anniversary this year by focusing on Fazıl Say as its “Portrait Artist” and on the theme of “Istanbul.” The festival is held throughout the entire state and offers audiences a wide range of programs each year, not only in major concert halls but also in distinctive venues such as churches, palace gardens, ferries, and shipyards.

As part of this year’s festival program, Borusan Quartet and the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra each performed two concerts in four different cities. In the sold-out concert at the Kirche in Sieseby and the performance at the Christuskirche in Niebüll, Borusan Quartet reached more than 500 listeners in total and received standing ovations from the festival audience.

The concerts at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and at Deutsches Haus in Flensburg featured the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Carlo Tenan, accompanying the festival’s “Portrait Artist” Fazıl Say in performances of his works. At the Elbphilharmonie, the program featured Say’s Symphony no.6 “A 100-Year-Old Child”, commissioned by Borusan Sanat to mark the centenary of the Turkish Republic and premiered in Türkiye in 2023. The concert, performed before a sold-out audience of more than 2,000, was broadcast live by NDR Radio, RAI Radio 3, and ARTE. On 2 September, at Deutsches Haus in Flensburg, the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied Fazıl Say as soloist in a program that included his Symphony no.4 “Hope”, Ferit Tüzün’s “Candle Dance”, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no.3, performed before an audience of more than 1,000.