Dates : 7/14/2010 - 10/16/2010

Famous Catalan artist Jordi Savall comes to Istanbul to perform a concert titled ’Istanbul 1710.’ Savall and the Hesperion XXI Orchestra, which consists of Armenian, Jewish, Arabic, Turkish, Greek and Spanish musicians, will perform works by 17th Century Armenian and Jewish composers during the concert on April 9

Jordi Savall will give a concert in Istanbul as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency’s “Golden Routes” project, one of the first projects initiated by the agency.

Savall has made his name heard with his music composed for Alain Corneau’s film “All the Mornings of the World.” Özdem Petek, who is leading the project team, spoke about the project and the Istanbul story of famous music researcher, composer and singer Savall.

The “Golden Routes” project, initiated in order to express the importance of intercultural exchange between famous travelers and discoverers in history, has been planned in three stages: “In the Way of Jules Verne,” “In the Way of Piri Reis” and “In the Way of Evliya Çelebi.” The first stage was completed in 2008, and the team that set off from Istanbul completed the route through Bulgarian Varna, Romanian Constanza, Ukrainian Odessa, Russian Sochi, and Georgian Batum despite some bureaucratic handicaps.

The project’s second and third stages will start this year. Now the tour will follow the routes of "Piri Reis" and "Evliya Çelebi" under today’s conditions. Petek said the goal was to provide intercultural dialogue and to promote Turkey through concerts, dance shows, conferences and press meetings in 15 countries and 26 cities.

The Piri Reis stage of the project will be realized from July 14 to 30 this year. The bulk of the travel will be by boat. The Evliya Çelebi stage will take place from Sept. 20 to Oct. 16 by bus.

In the Piri Reis and Evliya Çelebi traveling stages of the “Golden Route” project there will be concerts performed by bands including Istanbul Sazendeleri, Minstrels Era, Üç Kadın, Kolektif Istanbul and Bezmara as well as a dance show by Zeynep Tanbay entitled “Araz.”

When the traveling portion of the project is over at the end of November, the “Golden Routes World Music Festival” will commence. Famous names and groups from the routes, such as Maria Del Mar Bonnet and Savina Yannatou, are expected to perform at concerts under the umbrella title “The Voice of the Mediterranean, Balkans’ and Black Sea’s Rhythm.”

The impressions and observations of authors and photographers who participate in the project will later become three different books, and a documentary film will also be made. In the fourth book project, which has already been started, those who set off from Istanbul to discover Europe and the artists, travelers and scientists who came to Istanbul in the same period will be brought together. This book project was initiated to express that “all routes lead to Istanbul,” Petek said.

Renowned master come along

The concert that Savall and the Hesperion XXI Orchestra will give on April 9 overlaps with the goal of the “Golden Route” project in both content and musicians. Savall will perform his latest album, “Istanbul 1710 Dimitri Kantemir Edvarı,” at the concert. The album reveals Armenian and Sefarad effects in Ottoman music.

In the concert, supported by the Capital of Culture agency, Savall will be accompanied by Kudsi Erguner, Hakan Güngör, Derya Türkan, Yurdal Tokcan, Murad Salim Tokac, Fahrettin Yarkın, Gauik Mouradian, Haig Sarikouyomdjian, Dimitri Psonis, Driss El Maloumi-ud, Pierre Hamon, Michael Grebil and Pedro Estevan.

These masters come from many countries including Turkey, Armenia, Greece, France, Israel, Spain and Morocco, and all are internationally renowned. Music lovers eagerly await Savall’s concert, which will be held at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Hall.

Jordi Savall

After graduating from the Barcelona Conservatory in 1964, Savall started working on early music. Playing almost all authentic instruments, including the viol, Savall is one of the most important historical music researchers, composers and singers today. Just as in Corneau’s 1991 film “All the Mornings of the World,” Savall continues to make unforgettable music and to perform his works with his orchestra, Hesperion XXI. His latest album, “Istanbul 1710,” includes works chosen from “Edvar,” a book by the Prince of Moldovia Dimitri Kantemir who researches Ottoman music.

Article & Photo from: Daily News - www.hurriyetdailynews.com