ENSEMBLE

Izmir Barok Ensemble was founded by double bass and viola da gamba player Bulent Oral and violinist Hakan Ozaytekin, both Izmir State Opera artists, in 2008. After performing in chamber music concerts for nearly 25 years, the duo eventually succeeded to implement this ensemble that they had dreamed of. 

 

The most remarkable feature of the ensemble is the being the first in Turkey to use baroque period instruments and perform with the baroque style. 

 

The ensemble started with three members, with the participation of Tuğçe Özaytekin, cembalo player, also Izmir State Opera artist. Atilla Oral, baroque flute player and Soprano Linet Saul joined the ensemble later . Erica Fossi became the cembalo player of the ensemble since 2011.

 

Published in 2013, "16-18th century European and Ottoman Palace Music" was the the ensemble's CD project, with the involvement of Ottoman music performers, Mezzo Soprano, Sinem Ozdemir, Çeng and Kanun player Şehvar Beşiroğlu, Rebab player Mehmet Refik Kaya and percussionist Huseyin Tuncel. The CD won the 2015 best classical CD of the year award from the Andante magazine Donizetti Classical Music Awards.

 

The ensemble has given many concerts in Turkey and abroad. Among several concerts in Turkey in Izmir, Eskisehir, Istanbul and Bodrum, there were "D -Marin International Classical Music Festival" concerts for two years in a row. The ensemble also performed in the first Izmir " AASSM Baroque Music Days", a series of concerts with the participation of, "London Baroque" from England and "Mare Nostrum" Italy. Concerts in this festival was with the participation of the famous British soprano Emma Kirkby and with the London Baroque Violin player Ingrid Seifert with the ensemble. 

 

Among international concerts were Frankischer Sommer Festival in Nuremberg, Germany in the summer of 2011 where works by composers of the baroque period from Europe and the Ottoman Empire were performed. Same concept was performed together with the world-renowned Viola da Gamba player  Hille Perl and Lute Player Lee Santana at the 2011 İzmir International Music  Festival, and 2013 Bremen Musicada -Tage der Alten Musik festival where it won great acclaim and was broadcasted live at the Bremen radio. The same concept was repeated at the Phaselis International Festival in 2014.

 

Of the most important objectives of the ensemble is to popularize baroque music and composers with the instruments of the baroque period and lead the formation of new groups in this field.

 

The ensemble researches and interprets European baroque music repertoire and composers as well as Ottoman music and composers of the same period. The performance of Ottoman composers' works in Turkey or abroad, in line with the European music harmony principles will be the continuing mission of the ensemble. 

 

 

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Linet SAUL - Soprano

Sinem ÖZDEMİR GÖÇERİ - Mezzo Soprano

Güzin TEOMAN - Baroque Oboe

Elif AKSOY - Baroque Clarinette

Bülent YAZICI - Baroque Mandoline

Utku SUNA - Baroque Bassoon

Erica  FOSSİ - Cembalo

Bülent ORAL - Viola Da Gamba (Bass-Treble)

Diego Leveric - Archlute

Hakan ÖZAYTEKİN - Baroque Violin

Mehmet Refik KAYA - Rebap and Turkish Lute

Hüseyin TUNCEL - Percussion

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