38th International Izmir Fest

38th International Izmir Fest

Izmir Foundation for Culture, Arts and Education (İKSEV) is organizing the 38th International Izmir Festival between June 3 and July 12, 2025.

From Virtuosos to Baroque to Romanticism
The 38th International İzmir Festival will begin with the 'From Virtuosos to Baroque to Romanticism' concert to be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 21:00 at the AASSM Grand Hall. State soloist Tuncay Yılmaz (violin) will give a concert extending from the Baroque to the Romantic period with one of today's leading pianists, Emre Elivar. In the program specially prepared for the 38th International İzmir Festival, the world-renowned duo will present a program consisting of works by Bach, Strauss and Kreisler. Before the concert, plaques of appreciation will be presented to individuals and institutions that contributed to the realization of the Festival.

Premiere at the Festival
Mehmet Baydur's play 'The Picture of a Liar', which critics describe as 'like a dessert after dinner', will premiere at the Izmir State Theater Konak Stage on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Written by Baydur in 1996, the play tells the story of the 'game' that two lonely people unknowingly start in order to break their loneliness and settle their own scores. This 'game', adorned with lies, smiles, tears and truths, changes and transforms WOMEN and MEN, while causing the audience to question the meanings it defines with the surprises experienced.

The giant of the world hip-hop scene 'Darwin' Izmir Festival,
dancer, choreographer, group leader Saïdo Lehlouh, who created a completely different style in Hip-Hop Dance and is known by the nickname 'Darwin' in dance circles, will give a workshop with Hip-Hoppers from Izmir at İKSEV Dance Studio between June 10-14, 2025. Known for his unique style that flows with the grace of a cat, Darwin is remembered as a master who brought this street dance to world-famous stages and developed it. At the end of the workshop, the final show will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 17:00 in Alsancak Gündoğdu Square. Detailed information about the workshop can be obtained from : https://www.ifturquie.org/izmir/

The 'Mirror' of Contemporary Dance, which will bring a smile to the face of the audience
on Thursday, June 12, 2025, will host a significant name in the AASSM Small Hall Contemporary Dance field. Led by British-Turkish choreographer Ceyda Tanç, the company's contemporary dance works, influenced by Tanç's Turkish heritage, aim to challenge traditional gender representation in dance and highlight the intersection of cultures in modern Britain, incorporating themes of feminism, ritual and ceremony. Ceyda Tanc Dance has become one of the most sought-after dance companies of recent years with its accessible, enjoyable and empowering works for audiences of all walks of life.

Geneva Camerata: Challenging, challenging, entertaining
The 38th International İzmir Festival will host Geneva Camerata (GECA), known for its extraordinary shows that bring together different disciplines such as music, dance, theater and circus, at the AASSM Grand Hall on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The ensemble, described by the New York Times as 'GECA has completely changed the rules of the game in the world of classical music,' will present an extraordinary show. The Revolta project brings together Shostakovich's 5th Symphony, one of the masterpieces of music history, with krump dance, a hip-hop style born in the suburbs of Los Angeles. In this impressive performance based on today's social themes such as tolerance, courage and freedom, the members of Geneva Camerata will play the music from memory while dancing with four hip-hop dancers.

Festival-university collaboration - 'İzmir in Lyrics and Instruments'
The 38th International İzmir Festival invites art lovers to an unforgettable Classical Turkish Music concert at the AASSM Grand Hall on Thursday, June 19, 2025. In the concert titled 'İzmir in Lyrics and Instruments', which will be one of the best examples of Festival & University collaboration, the Ege University Health, Culture and Sports Department Classical Turkish Music Choir, under the artistic direction of the valuable artist Halil İbrahim Yüksel , will give a concert consisting of works by İzmir composers as well as works about İzmir. The Choir, which has held an important place in İzmir's musical life for over 30 years and has always been at the forefront with its superior performance talent and repertoire breadth compared to its peers, is preparing a special program for the Festival.

Clarinet & accordion meeting
The 38th International İzmir Festival will take to the streets on Sunday, June 22, 2025. In cooperation with the Istanbul Austrian Cultural Office, the incredible duo Duo Minerva Johanna Gossner (clarinet), Damien Keller (accordion) will give a concert at Alsancak Gündoğdu Square. The duo will present a distinguished repertoire at the concert, which will start at 19:00.

Turkish - Polish Friendship Concert
Soprano Elźbieta Nowotarska-Leśniak, who has conducted research on Cemal Reşid Rey and his '12 Anatolian Folk Songs' in Turkey, recorded this work and performed it in the concert hall named after our composer, will give a concert at the AASSM Grand Hall on Wednesday, June 24, 2025. Leśniak will be accompanied by conductor, composer, arranger, music theorist, cultural manager and pianist Rafał Kłoczko and the rising star of recent years, violinist Simon Ximeng Zhu . The concert, which will be held in cooperation with the Consulate General of Poland in Istanbul and the Honorary Consulate in Izmir, will feature examples of immortal Polish and Turkish melodies.

Italy's enthusiastic ceremonies: Trio Lyrical
will be at the 38th International Izmir Festival on Monday, July 7, 2025. A heart-warming concert will be held in cooperation with the Izmir Italian Consulate. Trio Lyrical, consisting of soprano Sara Minieri, tenor Lorenzo Martelli and conductor, composer, pianist Nicoletta Conti, will present a special repertoire selected from well-known Italian operas. Izmir Italian Consul Daniele Bianchi stated that the Trio has prepared a special concert that will best introduce Italy's valuable cultural treasure.

The world's only piano windtet is at the İzmir Festival
The 38th International İzmir Festival will host the world's only piano windtet, Ensemble 4.1, on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at the İzmir Historical Agora. Ensemble 4.1, an Opus Klasik 2019 candidate, consists of FOUR wind soloists interested in chamber music and ONE pianist Thomas Hoppe. Dedicating themselves to this wonderful, yet undiscovered genre of music, Ensemble 4.1 is receiving praise from critics for their extraordinary communication skills and the intoxicating atmosphere they create on stage. In addition to original masterpieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, the ensemble is dedicated to discovering rarely performed compositions from the early 19th century to the 20th century. After many years, piano windtets by Walter Gieseking, Theodor Verhey, Heinrich von Herzogenberg and Gustav Holst are being performed for enthusiastic audiences. The concert, which will be held in collaboration with the Izmir Goethe Institute, will start at 21:00, like all events of the Festival.