2003 Year of Turkey in Japan

Emil Tabakov, conductor,

Gülsin Onay, piano

Wednesday, February 18 / Tokyo University Hall , Japan
P.I.Tchaikovsky / Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23
S.Rachmaninov / Symphony No.2 in E minor, Op.27

Thursday, February 19 / Tokyo Shibuya Hall , Japan
A.A.Saygun / Piano Concerto No.1, Op.34
D.Shostakovich / Symphony No.10, Op.93

Bilkent Symphony Orchestra

The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1993 as an original artistic project of the Bilkent University. Developed by the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, the orchestra is composed of over 90 proficient artists of the Faculty from Turkey and 12 countries. Young Turkish and foreign artists, continuing their post graduate studies at the Institute of Music and Performing Arts, participate in the concerts to further expand the orchestra to 120 players. With these characteristics the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, is the first private, international, artistic and academic group in Turkey.

Starting as the “Bilkent Sinfonietta” the symphonic orchestra now has the identity of an ensemble of orchestras, comprising the “Bilkent Chamber Orchestra” an “Ensemble of Wind Instruments” and various other orchestral formations. With Turkish and foreign guest conductors, soloists and choirs, the ensemble of orchestras has distinguished itself through its season events of over 80 concerts per year and the television and radio broadcasts of these performances. The national label Bilkent Music Production has published over 30 CD's of the orchestra. Through events such as the “Bilkent Concert Series”, “Turkish Composers Week”, “Education Concerts” and “The Bilkent Anatolia Music Festival”, the orchestra aims to bring a wide range of activities to large audiences, to spread the appreciation of music at national level, undertake international activities and develop cooperation with institutions abroad.

Along these objectives the orchestra has toured to Italy, Germany, Belgium, Portugal and recently to Switzerland to take part in the Montreux Festival. Among the artists the orchestra has performed with are Idil Biret, Robert Cohen, Jean-Philippe Collard, Patrick Gallois, Suna Kan, Kostas Kotsiolis, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Silvia Marcovici, Mintcho Mintchev, Shlomo Mintz, Christiane Oelze, Gülsin Onay, Ferhan and Ferzan Önder, Mihail Pletnev, Viktoria Postnikova, György Sandor, Dimitris Sgouros, the Rome and Bulgarian State Philharmonic Choirs. The BSO has performed under guest conductors such as, Gürer Aykal, Serge Baudo, Alexander Dimitriev, Massimo Freccia, Jean Fournet, Rengim Gökmen, Peter Gülke, Ernest Martinez Izquierdo, Yoel Levi, Avi Ostrowsky, Karl Anton Rickenbacher, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Nello Santi.

Continuing its 2003-2004 concert season under the music direction of Maestro Emil Tabakov, the BSO and its ensembles will be welcoming audiences at the Bilkent Concert Hall (800) and Bilkent ODEON (4000). In 2003 the Bilkent Music Production label has also started to export its CD series to Europe and Japan. The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra's latest recordings are the 2nd and 3rd piano concertos of Rachmaninoff with Gülsin Onay and the Tchaikovsky and Sancan piano concertos with Jean-Philippe Collard under the baton of Emil Tabakov.

MEMBERS

CONDUCTOR Emil Tabakov

I VIOLIN Server Ganiyev Togrul Ganioglu Suzanna Bezhani Yelena Postnova Rafik Zamanov Yevgeniy Mansurov Davud Ali Bahar Sunar Kutay Arif Möhsünoglu Seyran Ahundov Irina Nikotina Vseslava Kudinova Süreyya Basekin II VIOLIN Adil Azizov Feruza Abdullayeva Ferhad Gülmamedov Rasim Bagirov Marina Agapova Adel Begliyeva Nazim Aliyev Iskender Okeev Elena Rihsiyeva VIOLA Cavid Cafer Yelena Gnezdilova Ulugbek Rihsiyev Iltuzur Ahmedov Sema Celilova Svetlana Smolina Sakine Saidova Boris Bubnov Irsad Mamedov CELLO Hajreddin Hoxha Kara Aliyev Artur Rahmatullayev Adil Babayev Kerem Aykal Verda Demirel Özel Sardor Rasulov Yigit Sami Ülgen Joseph Györffy Selim Gayibli DOUBLE BASS Sergey Margulis Salva Gagua Zurab Tsitsuachvili Dritan Gani Merab Loria Refik Hacibeyoglu	FLUTE Albena Petrova Zita Zempleni Eva Zakorskaya OBOE Oleg Yakuboviç Violetta Lupu Viktoriya Babayeva CLARINET Leonid Volkov Selen Özyildirim BASSOON Dmitri Zlatsovski Yuriy Kudryavtsev TRUMPET Yulian Lupu Alexander Rapoport Krassimir Koniarov HORN Medet Cem Akçora Ilya Sobolev Oleg Barkovski Leonid Mironük TUBA Andrey Trifonov TROMBON Cem Güngör Alexei Medvedev Pavel Dmitriyev HARP Bahar Kinis Tuglu PERCUSSIONS Aydin Mecid Rahim Namazov Teymuralp Fosforoglu