International Istanbul Theater Festival

Theater performances used to be a part in the programme of the International Istanbul Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts j since 1973. By 1989 theatre

performances gained an independed identity and the new event was named The International Istanbul Theater Festival1.

Every year, The International Istanbul Theatre Festival includes in its programme the finest examples of classical and experimental theatre, dance and physical theater, music theater, theatrical concerts. From its start until today, the finest examples of national and international Groups, artists and productions participated in the Festival.

Since 1997 the International Theater Festival presents two “Honorary Awards” to one international and one Turkish theater personalities for their lifetime achievement in the field of performing arts.

The awards are presented each year during the opening ceremony of the festival.

In the last few years the International Istanbul Theater Festival started to print its name under significant Turkish and international productions as a coproducer. The intention of the Festival is to improve this attempt in future as far as conditions alow.

Istanbul Music Festival

International Istanbul Music Festival, 1972, is the oldest international of Istanbul. The festival brings the greatest names of the world and the country together during June- ) uly period every year. The festival, almost turning to be the official parade of the famed, gains another importance with the galas of many albums. The festival has hosted the most important artists and groups of the world for 32 years in Istanbul such as; New York Philarmony, Orpheus Chamber (Irchestra, Alban Berg Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Aldo Ciccolini, Itzhak Perlman, Julian Lloyd Webber, Mischa Maisky, Christopher Parkening, Montserrat Caballe. The festival is also an intermediary that brings Turkish Jurkish conductors and groups with the foreign artists on the same stage: Kronos Quartet and Burhan Ogal (2000).

The special project in 1999 was staging. Likewise, the 33rd International Istanbul Music Festival will be in June 2005 and the most prominent artists and ensembles of the classical music world will once again perform in Istanbul. Among them will be Marunsky Theatre Kirov Opera Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Valery Gergiev, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Anne Sophie von Otter, Academy of Ancient Music and Choir conducted by Christopher Hogwood, Concerto Koln & Sarband and Vadim Repin.

Jazz fans in Turkey, will most readily remember the 8th of July 1984. On that very day, hearing that Chick Corea and Steve Kujala were going to give a concert in Ataturk Cultural Centre as part of the Istanbul Festival, they had raided the box offices, and tickets were immediately sold out On the day of the concert there was an unprecedented crowd outside the ACC, and many people missed it as there were no tickets left. Chick Corea made his own surprise at the end of the concert when he brought Gayle Moran on stage. This unforgettable concert was the beginning of things to come. It was a reminder that jazz should occupy a bigger part in the Istanbul Festival, and that the musical spectrum of the Festival should be extended to cover many other musical styles.

As years went by the emphasis on jazz in the Istanbul Festival increased. The first real rock concerts in Istanbul were held in the Open-Air Theatre as part of the Istanbul Festival program The number of concerts under the heading of jazz, rock and pop grew in number every year. Then the line was crossed in rg88 and the legendary Miles Davis presented unforgettable musical feasts in the Open-Air Theatre three nights in a row. He was followed by Dizzy Gillespie, the Modem Jazz Quartet, Stan Getz, Ornette Coleman and many others.

Istanbul Foundation for Culture

As the years went by,” jazz” also went beyond the limits of its literal meaning, and the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts announced that the rst International Istanbul Jazz Festival was to be held as a separate event The festival was planned to be an activity embracing concerts of many styles of music in addition to jazz; like rock, pop, blues, reggae, new age, etc. It would surpass the boundaries of the concert sites, and question the boundary separating the people who produce music from those who consume it. In short, it would be more than a series of concerts. 1994, has a remarkable reputation among the national and international media

The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts has been Cirganising art events for twenty four years in the fields of classical music, jazz, film, theatre and visual arts to start a dialogue between the Turkish art world and international art circles. Since 1987, IFCA has pioneered an international Biennial which aims at establishing an open-ended international visual art exchange between artists from different cultures. Through the four biennials that IFCA has organised, the opportunity for the development of an international cultural network has been secured not only for the Turkish art scene but also for the international artists, curators and art critics.

September-November period every two years. From the 1st International Istanbul Biennial held in 1987, Istanbul became host to internationally known artists such as Bruce Nauman, Tony Oursler, Ilya Kabakov, Sarkis, Nam June Paik, Sigmar Polke. There were special exhibitions from Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, USA, England and Yugoslavia Turkish artists, galleries and collectors also participated.

International Istanbul Biennial

10th International Istanbul Biennial will take place between 8 September and 4 November 2007. Chinese art critic and creator Hou Hanru will be creator of the biennial. The biennial`s concept this year “Is not impossible and is necessary – optimism at the time of global war” Focused on architectural realism and metropolitan facts to show cultural connections, different views and opinions about art with the complications of modem life. 10th International Istanbul Biennial just more than an ordinary exhibition during working hours its designed to be a creative workshop, there will be events during the night. So the public can be directly involved with the biennial project

Electronic Image of Dazibao Project referring its name from the radical street posters expressing democratic public views and opinions during the Chinese Cultural Revolution will start with the gathering open to everyone. The project will be consisting of amateur and professional video works of artists chosen by young group of creators from Turkey and will be louring different places every night. There will be series visual art events to give the biennial open and different dimensions.

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