PRE-CONCERT TALKS AND PODCAST SERIES

Created under the supervision of literary critic Asuman Kafaoğlu-Büke and music writer Aydın Büke.

The ‘Pre-Concert’ talks we organise each year for audiences before concerts will be complemented by a podcast series this year and will be accessible to everyone. Speakers from various disciplines will shed light on the concert programme, explore its themes and the lives of composers’. Some of the talks will continue to take place in person before concerts, while others will be recorded ahead of the festival and released as podcast episodes. Whether at home, at work, or on the move, audiences will be able to prepare for concerts.

The podcast series will be available from 28 May 2025 on Karnaval’s Spotify and Apple Music accounts, karnaval.com, and the İKSV Spotify account.

Unless otherwise stated, the talks will be held in Turkish. While the in-person talks at concert venues are intended for ticketed audiences, they will later be released in podcast format. 

PODCAST EPISODES

A WORLD PREMIERE: VALENTIN SILVESTROV

Feyzi Erçin and Alexey Botvinov on ‘Life in Exile’

FEYZİ ERÇİN
Attorney, Music Writer and Critic

ALEXEY BOTVINOV
Pianist and Founder and President of Odessa Classics Music Festival

In English with Turkish voice-over

WOMEN STARS OF TOMORROW

Efruz Çakırkaya, Ceren Türkmenoğlu and Hilal Can on ‘Creative Process in Arts’

EFRUZ ÇAKIRKAYA
Director of the Istanbul Music Festival

CEREN TÜRKMENOĞLU
Composer and Violinist

HİLAL CAN
Visualization Artist

CUARTETO SOLTANGO & LEONEL CAPITANO: “POESÍA”

Ortaç Aydınoğlu on ‘Tango: Lunfardo’dan Poesia’ya’

ORTAÇ AYDINOĞLU
Composer, Bandoneon player and Academist

CARAVAGGIO & MONTEVERDI

Gündüz Vassaf and Asuman Kafaoğlu Büke on ‘Caravaggio Era’

GÜNDÜZ VASSAF
Author and Psychologist

ASUMAN KAFAOĞLU BÜKE
Author and Literary Critic

THE ISLAND

Efruz Çakırkaya and Çağlar Fidan on ‘Shared Sounds of the Eastern Mediterranean’

EFRUZ ÇAKIRKAYA
Director of the Istanbul Music Festival

ÇAĞLAR FİDAN
Musician

IN-PERSON TALKS

CAMERATA SALZBURG & HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD

Aydın Büke and Murat Cem Orhan on ‘The Road to the Symphony’

AYDIN BÜKE
Music Writer

MURAT CEM ORHAN
Musician & Conductor

14.06.2025 SA | 19.00-19.40
Atatürk Cultural Centre

NDR ELBPHILHARMONIE ORCHESTER & RAFAŁ BLECHACZ

Feyzi Erçin and İris Şentürker on ‘Chopin: Can Music Be a Competition?’

FEYZİ ERÇİN
Attorney, Music Writer and Critic

İRİS ŞENTÜRKER
Pianist and Dr. Faculty Member at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory

20.06.2025 FR | 19.00-19.40
Atatürk Cultural Centre

CARAVAGGIO & MONTEVERDI

Aydın Büke and Prof. Dr. Serap Yüzgüller on ‘Two Great Masters from the Baroque Era: Caravaggio and Monteverdi’

AYDIN BÜKE
Music Writer

PROF. DR. SERAP YÜZGÜLLER
Art Historian

24.06.2025 TU | 19.00-19.40
Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall