Author: Sanlıkol

—

Since at least the 16th century, the Turkish maftirim repertoire — Hebrew devotional poetry set to Turkish makam music for use in the synagogue — demonstrates the deep relationships Ottoman Jews established with members of Muslim mystical brotherhoods. Leading scholar, Prof. Edwin Seroussi will briefly introduce the cultural, historical, religious and musical aspects of the topic, and the following concert program will demonstrate examples of relevant musical repertoire.

—

DÜNYA Ensemble with,

Rıdvan Aydınlı, ney, voice; George Lernis, percussion; Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, ud, ney, voice

and guests Edwin Seroussi, voice and Joseph Alpar, santur, voice

—

Locations, Date/Time, Price:
September 12, Jordan Hall, NEC, FREE
30 Gainsborough St, Boston, 7:30pm

September 15, Deane Carriage Barn, Bennington College, FREE

As part of the Carriage Barn concert series, 3:00pm

—

LECTURE PRECEDING NEC CONCERT

presented by the Intercultural Institute at NEC

“Sephardic Jewish musicians and their Ottoman/Turkish counterparts”

with Edwin Seroussi and Joseph Alpar

—

Location, Date/Time, Price:
September 12, Williams Hall, NEC, FREE
30 Gainsborough St, Boston, 6pm

Spring 2019

Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch

Presented by WBUR

Othello in the Seraglio, a uniquely powerful “coffeehouse opera,” tells an age-old story of passionate love and murderous jealousy, of a black slave at the 17th century Ottoman Court who rises to power and riches, only to come to a tragic end. The multi-layered script is by NEC music historian Robert Labaree, while the stunning score, by Boston composer and Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, weaves together Italian Baroque and Turkish sources with his own newly-composed music into a tapestry of uncanny beauty. Othello is performed on European period instruments and traditional Turkish instruments by an ensemble of 12 instrumentalists, singers and a dramatic storyteller.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
March 7, CitySpace, 890 Comm. Ave. Boston, MA,
Pre-concert talk with WBUR’s “On-Point” Producer, Stefano Kotsonis: 6:30pm
Show: 7:00pm Admission: $20

THE PREMIERE OF THE FULL-LENGTH FILM VERSION OF
Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch
a coffeehouse opera based on Shakespeare

with an introduction by Helen Greenwald, chair of Music History & Musicology, New England Conservatory

Presented by The Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University

Location, Date/Time, Price:
March 13, Farkas Hall (The New College Theatre), 10-12 Holyoke St. Cambridge, MA, 7:00pm
Free and open to the public; seating is limited.

AND OTHER SCREENINGS OF Othello in the Seraglio

Locations, Dates/Times, Prices:
-March 26, New England Conservatory, Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre at 4pm.
-March 27, Princeton University, Garden Theater at 6pm.
-April 5, Tufts University, Varis Lecture Hall, Granoff Music Center at 12pm.

All of the above screenings are made possible by support from

JEWS AND SUFIS: A Shared Musical Tradition
with Edwin Seroussi

Presented by The Katz Center at University of Pennsylvania

Since at least the 16th century, the Turkish maftirim repertoire–Hebrew devotional poetry set to Turkish makam music for use in the synagogue–demonstrates the deep relationships Ottoman Jews established with members of Muslim mystical brotherhoods. Leading scholar, Prof. Edwin Seroussi in a panel of three will speak on cultural, historical, religious and musical aspects of the topic, followed by dialogue with the audience.

The program will conclude with a lively recital featuring an ensemble of Jewish, Muslim and Christian vocalists and instrumentalists demonstrating examples of relevant musical repertoire.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
March 17, Old Pine Street Church, 412 Pine St. Philadelphia, PA, 2:00pm
Open to the public.

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext? featuring Dave Liebman

Presented by WBUR

Do not miss the premiere of an extended intercultural composition by Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol for Jazz Orchestra featuring NEA Jazz Master/Saxophonist Dave Liebman!

As a Turkish-American composer Sanlıkol has been saddened and personally affected by the negative attitude toward immigrants, Muslims and minority communities in the US lately. As a result, he decided to compose his new piece, entitled “THE RISE UP”, built on three episodes from Middle Eastern history which chronicle dark and traumatic events followed by human inspiration and/or transcendental creation. The first narrative centers around the great Sufi poet Rumi, composer of the most beautiful mystical poetry ever written after the murder of Shams, his beloved teacher. The second story comes from the traditions of Sephardic Jews, expelled from Spain but welcomed by the Ottomans, leading to a cultural flowering treasured to this day. The third narrative tells the story of Mimar Sinan, forcibly taken by the Ottomans as a young Orthodox Christian boy, who came to embrace his new Muslim identity and rose to great heights as the master architect of some of the greatest mosques in the world.

The orchestra will be conducted by Ken Schaphorst, chair of the Jazz department at New England Conservatory, and the unique Middle Eastern musical flavors will be supported by additional ethnic flutes, reeds, percussion and a group of Greek Orthodox cantors. A conversation with Sanlıkol and Liebman moderated by On Point producer Stefano Kotsonis will start the premiere event.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
Open rehearsal
Thursday, May 16, NEC’s Brown Hall, 5-9 pm

Premiere
Friday, May 17, CitySpace, 890 Comm. Ave. Boston, 7:30pm
Admission: $10.

This project is made possible in part by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation.

March 11, 2019 author

Sanlıkol

2019, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2018

Fall 2018

“Aman Aman!”
The Music of the Turkish & Greek Café

DÜNYA teams up with Pharos Ensemble to take their audiences on a musical journey where they will be introduced to the Turkish coffeehouse and the Greek Kafe Aman repertoires which include late classical Ottoman/Turkish music, urban folk songs from Turkey, songs representing the Kafe Aman style from mainland Greece as well as early Rembetika songs.

Location, Date/Time, Price:

October 30, MIT, Bartos Theater, Cambridge – MA, 7:30pm, General: $25, Students: $15

A Special TEDx Presentation

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol presents excerpts from his ‘coffeehouse opera’, entitled “Othello in the Seraglio”, and an innovative composition performed live by his Jazz trio followed by a talk where he will discuss how being an immigrant helped him become a musically multilingual composer and performer.

Location, Date:
November 10, TEDxBeaconStreet, Brookline – MA

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Trio

Grammy nominated composer and DownBeat magazine’s September 2016 Editor’s pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol presents his unique blend of energetic and innovative Turkish music influenced contemporary Jazz.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
November 16, Somerville Community Baptist Church, Somerville – MA, 8pm, $15

١٧عصر.

Music from the 17^thcentury Istanbul

DÜNYA ensemble presents a diverse range of music compiled by Ali Ufuki in mid-17th century Istanbul including Sufi music, unusual examples of entertainment and dance music with (what we would consider today) obscene lyrics as well as rhythmic complexity that is not to be found in the current Turkish repertoire…

Location, Date/Time, Price:
November 27, New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall, Boston – MA, 7:30pm, FREE
November 28, Harvard University, Memorial Church, Cambridge – MA, 8pm, General: $15, Students: $10 — tickets will be sold at the door / cash and checks only / first come first serve

—

Spring 2018

Between Two Worlds:
from the “jazz” of Istanbul to the “blues” of Anatolia

This concert presents a mix of Ottoman classical, folk, religious as well as popular musics from Anatolia and the city of Istanbul.

Location, Date/Time, Price:

February 11, Congregational Church of Salisbury, Salisbury, MA, 3pm, FREE

—

___

For Old Times’ Sake: a farewell concert to Ryles

Grammy nominated composer and DownBeat magazine’s September 2016 Editor’s pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol brings his unique blend of energetic and innovative Turkish music influenced contemporary Jazz to Ryles for a special evening to say farewell to this beloved venue…
Several generations of musicians cherished Ryles for over 40 years. Please join us for a very special and memorable evening.
Featuring,
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, piano, voice, ney
James Heazlewood-Dale, bass
George Lernis, drums, percussion
with special guests,
Burcu Gulec, voice
Bulut Gulen, trombone

Location, Date/Time, Price:

May 11, Ryles Jazz Club, Cambridge, MA, 8:30pm, $15

April 23, 2018 author

Sanlıkol

2018, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2017

Fall 2017

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Trio

Grammy nominated composer and DownBeat’s September 2016 Editor’s pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol performs his unique blend of energetic and innovative Turkish music influenced contemporary Jazz before he travels with his trio to Paris to perform at Jazzy Colors festival. Sanlıkol will be accompanied by George Lernis on drums & percussion, and James Heazlewood-Dale on bass.

Location, Date/Time, Price:

November 17, Somerville Community Baptist Church, Somerville, MA, 8pm, $15

DEVRAN:
Music of Islam, Turkey & Renaissance Europe

In response to the stereotyping of Muslims in today’s politics, Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol employs music to bring together cultural expressions of Islam and Europe, highlight the diversity of Boston’s Muslim community, and further conversation among Muslim and non-Muslim Bostonians. The concert’s centerpiece is DEVRAN, Sanlıkol’s unique new intercultural choral work combining Muslim texts, Renaissance choral style, and Middle Eastern elements into an artistic whole. DEVRAN will be premiered by the NEC Chamber Singers, led by Erica Washburn, and DÜNYA, will perform traditional Turkish Sufi music and Ottoman Jewish music led by the composer.

The first performance takes place following a symposium on Music and Morality at New England Conservatory on 11/9 at Jordan Hall and the second performance takes place on 11/12 at First Church in Roxbury with a panel discussion prior to the concert moderated by WBUR’s Louise Kennedy (details below). The panel will include Ali Asani, Professor of Islamic Religion and Cultures at Harvard; Robert Labaree, ethnomusicologist at NEC; and Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
November 9, Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St., Boston, MA, PRE-CONCERT TALK at 7:00pm, CONCERT at 7:30pm. FREE
November 12, First Church of Roxbury, 10 Putnam St., Boston, MA, PANEL at 2:00pm, CONCERT at 3:00pm. FREE

This project’s community partners are New England Turkish Student Association (NETSA) and The Inayati Order of Greater Boston

This program was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ Creative City Program, with funding from The Barr Foundation and with additional support from The Boston Foundation.

Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch
A powerful encounter of Europe and Ottoman Turkey

*a special performance to fund the upcoming film of Othello*

Othello in the Seraglio, a uniquely powerful “coffeehouse opera,” tells an age-old story of passionate love and murderous jealousy, of a black slave at the 17th century Ottoman Court who rises to power and riches, only to come to a tragic end. The multi-layered script is by NEC music historian Robert Labaree, while the stunning score, by Boston composer and Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, weaves together Italian Baroque and Turkish sources with his own newly-composed music into a tapestry of uncanny beauty. Othello is performed on European period instruments and traditional Turkish instruments by an ensemble of 12 instrumentalists, singers and a dramatic storyteller.

Locations, Date/Time, Price:
September 15, The First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley St., Boston, MA.
General admission: $40, students: $20.

Co-presented by TurkInno

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext?
as part of the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival

Grammy nominated bandleader/composer and DownBeat’s September 2016 Editors pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol brings his genre-busting 12-piece band, Whatsnext? to the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. Do not miss this unique and highly engaging concert featuring Sanlıkol’s contemporary jazz compositions with intriguing Turkish influences!

Location, Date/Time, Price:
September 30, Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival, Columbus Ave., Boston, MA, 12:00pm. FREE

For the festival performance schedule click here

Summer 2017

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext? featuring Tiger Okoshi

2017 Summer Tour kick-off concert!

Grammy nominated bandleader/composer and DownBeat’s September 2016 Editors pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol kicks off a Summer tour with concerts in the US, Turkey and Cyprus, at Ryles Jazz Club with a giant of jazz, trumpeter Tiger Okoshi, and his genre-busting 12-piece band Whatsnext?
Do not miss this unique and highly engaging concert featuring Sanlıkol’s contemporary jazz compositions with intriguing Turkish influences!

Location, Date/Time, Price:
July 6, Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA, 8:30pm. Tickets: $15

Spring 2017

Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch

with a pre-concert panel on the diverse societies of Islam and race in Shakespeare featuring Stephen Greenblatt

A powerful encounter of Europe and Ottoman Turkey

Othello in the Seraglio, a uniquely powerful “coffeehouse opera,” tells an age-old story of passionate love and murderous jealousy, of a black slave at the 17th century Ottoman Court who rises to power and riches, only to come to a tragic end. The multi-layered script is by NEC music historian Robert Labaree, while the stunning score, by Boston composer and Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, weaves together Italian Baroque and Turkish sources with his own newly-composed music into a tapestry of uncanny beauty. Othello is performed on European period instruments and traditional Turkish instruments by an ensemble of 12 instrumentalists, singers and a dramatic storyteller.

Locations, Date/Time, Price:
7pm PANEL, 8pm PERFORMANCE — there will be a post-concert Q&A with the panelists
March 2, Emerson/Paramount Center, Jackie Liebergott Black box Theatre, 559 Washington St., Boston, MA.
Admission is free but space is limited.
Sponsored by the Performing Arts Department and the Division of Diversity and Inclusion

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol Trio at Ryles Jazz Club

Grammy nominated composer and DownBeat’s September 2016 Editor’s pick Jazz pianist Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol brings his unique blend of energetic and innovative Turkish music influenced contemporary Jazz and Soul to Ryles Jazz Club with George Lernis on drums, Yaman Akdoğan on bass and a surprise special guest.

Location, Date/Time, Price:

April 14, Ryles Jazz Club, Inman Square, Cambridge, MA, 9pm, $15

An Ottoman tableau of devotional music
as part of Northeastern University’s symposium on cantillation

The Dünya Ensemble presents an historical tableau of different religious musical practices and a variety of cantillation styles in Islam, Christianity and Judaism, especially centered around the Ottoman Istanbul. The many layers of communal interaction in the city created deep historical and musical influences between these religious traditions.

Location, Date/Time, Price:

May 8, The Fenway Center, St. Stephen Street Boston, MA, 8pm. Tickets: $15

Link to the symposium: web.northeastern.edu/chant/

April 24, 2017 author

Sanlıkol

2017, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2016

Fall 2016

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext? CD Release Concerts

featuring Dave Liebman and Tiger Okoshi

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext? Is now getting ready to release their new album, “Resolution”. Whatsnext?, Sanlıkol’s genre-busting jazz orchestra, performs his compositions which seek to create a sophisticated and cosmopolitan synthesis incorporating elements of Turkish, European and American musical traditions. Sanlıkol’s blend of jazz composition and Turkish music has been praised by the Boston Globe as “a true fusion of jazz and folkloric Turkish language and colors” – and it is the further development and maturation of this “true fusion” that is the basis for the current project.

Locations, Date/Time, Price:

Oct. 6, Joe’s Pub, New York, NY, 7pm. Tickets: $20.

Oct. 9, Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA, 5pm. Tickets: $39, $35, $29.

—

Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch

A powerful encounter of Europe and Ottoman Turkey

Othello in the Seraglio, a uniquely powerful “coffeehouse opera,” tells an age-old story of passionate love and murderous jealousy, of a Black slave at the 17th century Ottoman Court who rises to power and riches, only to come to a tragic end. The multi-layered script is by NEC music historian Robert Labaree, while the stunning score, by Boston composer and Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, weaves together Italian Baroque and Turkish sources with his own newly-composed music into a tapestry of uncanny beauty. Othello is performed on European period instruments and traditional Turkish instruments by an ensemble of 12 instrumentalists, singers and a dramatic storyteller.

Locations, Date/Time, Price:

Oct. 14, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 8pm. Tickets: $25; Five College and 17 & Under, $10; Five College Faculty & Staff, please call the box office.

Oct. 27 & Oct. 28, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, 8pm. FREE.

—–

Spring & Summer 2016

Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch

A powerful encounter of Europe and Ottoman Turkey

Othello in the Seraglio, a uniquely powerful “coffeehouse opera,” tells an age-old story of passionate love and murderous jealousy, of a Black slave at the 17th century Ottoman Court who rises to power and riches, only to come to a tragic end. The multi-layered script is by NEC music historian Robert Labaree, while the stunning score, by Boston composer and Grammy nominee Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, weaves together Italian Baroque and Turkish sources with his own newly-composed music into a tapestry of uncanny beauty. Othello is performed on European period instruments and traditional Turkish instruments by an ensemble of 12 instrumentalists, singers and a dramatic storyteller.

Locations, Date/Time:

Feb. 29, Salem Old Town Hall, Salem, MA, 8pm.

Mar. 1 & Mar. 2, OBERON, Cambridge, MA, 7:30 pm. Cabaret seating. Tickets: $30-$20

Apr. 8, National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NY, 10:00pm.

June 12, Shalin Liu, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport, MA, 5:00pm.

June 17, 2016 author

Sanlıkol

2016, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2015

FALL 2015

ELVEDA
(Farewell)

A CONCERT OF REMEMBRANCE
dedicated to Dr. Hüseyin Parkan Sanlıkol (1/21/1944-9/12/2015),
father of Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol;
and in memory of our colleague Tom Zajac (10/1/1956-8/31/2015)
as well as all those departed and dear to our hearts…

It is a common tradition in Turkey to do a night of remembrance on the 40th as well as the 52nd days of someone’s passing. This concert was scheduled to take place on October 22nd prior to both Parkan Sanlıkol and Tom Zajac’s passing – October 22nd is the 40th day of Parkan Sanlıkol and the 52nd day of Tom Zajac’s passing…

Location, Date/Time:
Thursday, October 22, 8:00 PM – First Church in Cambridge, MA

ISTANBUL ON THE CHARLES:
A Jordan Hall Reunion

Directed by Robert Labaree and Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol

A FREE concert extravaganza on a Friday night at Boston’s historic and acoustically superb Jordan Hall

with special appearances by,

Anne Azema

Beth Bahia Cohen

Jerry Leake

New England Drum and Winds Mehterhane

Join us on this very special and celebratory night where a large group of DUNYA collaborators will come together to perform a show not to be missed with highlights from past programs and CDs including, a variety of traditional Turkish musics, early European music, Greek and Jewish musics from the Ottoman period, Sufi music, Turkish pop music, and more…

Location, Date/Time:
Friday, November 20, 8:00 PM – Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, 30 Gainsborough St. Boston, MA, FREE

SPRING 2015

DÜNYA’s Documentary Film Screening*
WHAT A WORLD
with Robert Labaree
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol
Cem Mutlu
Brenna MacCrimmon
Phaedon Sinis
and Mal Barsamian
including special appearances from Cemal Kafadar

What A World offers a captivating look at DÜNYA which has explored a wide range of music from around the world since its founding in 2004. The film shows the ensemble performing an amazing concert of music from 20th century Istanbul while interviews with the band members reveal their diverse backgrounds as well as insights about the surprising cultural and musical links between Boston and Turkey.

*This event features a brief talk before the screening as well as a Q & A after.

Location, Date/Time:
Tuesday, February 17, 4:00 PM – Harvard University, CMES 120, FREE

OTHELLO IN THE SERAGLIO
the Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch

a coffeehouse opera produced by Dünya

conceived and composed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol
coffeehouse opera concept developed by Robert Labaree

based on:
The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare (1603)
Un Capitano Moro (A Moorish Captain) by Giovanbattista Giraldi (Cinzio) (1565)
Kızlarağası’nın Piçi (The Bastard of the Chief Black Eunuch) by Reşad Ekrem Koçu (1933)

original music, with music from 16th and 17th century sources from Europe and Turkey arranged by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol

script by Robert Labaree
additional Turkish poetry by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol

directed by Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol

Location, Date/Time:
Thursday, Feb. 26, 8 PM, First Religious Society in Carlisle, 27 School St., Carlisle, MA
Friday, Feb. 27, 8 PM, The Congregational Church of Weston, 130 Newton St., Weston, MA
Saturday, Feb 28, 8 PM, The Salem Athenaeum, 337 Essex St., Salem, MA
Sunday, Mar. 1, 4PM, Ascension Memorial Church, 31 County St., Ipswich, MA
Monday, Mar. 2, 730 PM, Christ Church Cambridge, Zero Garden St., Cambridge, MA
Tuesday, April 7, 8 PM, New England Conservatory, Brown Hall, Boston, MA
Wednesday, April 8, 8 PM, Harvard University, Holden Chapel, Cambridge, MA
Thursday, April 9, 8 PM, Smith College, Sweeney Concert Hall, Northampton, MA

March 10, 2015 author

Sanlıkol

2015, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2014

FALL 2014

DÜNYA’s Documentary Film Screenings*
WHAT A WORLD
with Robert Labaree
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol
Cem Mutlu
Brenna MacCrimmon
Phaedon Sinis
and Mal Barsamian
including special appearances from Cemal Kafadar

What A World offers a captivating look at DÜNYA which has explored a wide range of music from around the world since its founding in 2004. The film shows the ensemble performing an amazing concert of music from 20th century Istanbul while interviews with the band members reveal their diverse backgrounds as well as insights about the surprising cultural and musical links between Boston and Turkey.

*The events feature a brief talk before the screening as well as a Q & A after.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
Friday, September 12, 7:00 PM – Emerson College, Bright Family Screening Room, $10
Friday, November 7, 7:00 PM – MIT, Chipman Room (6-104), FREE

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol & Whatsnext

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol will present his unique jazz band which pairs Turkish instruments such as zurna (double reed wind), ney (end-blown flute), kös (large kettledrums) and nekkare (small kettledrums) with a 6-horn jazz combo to perform his film inspired and innovative Turkish music influenced compositions in order to promote his new album.

featuring,
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, piano, keyboards, continuum, zurna, ney, voice
Jerry Sabatini, trumpet, flugel horn
Jeff Claassen, trumpet flugel horn
Mark Zaleski, alto sax., clarinet
Aaron Henry, tenor & soprano sax.
Chris Gagne, trombone
Jared Sims, baritone sax., bass clarinet
Utar Artun, piano, keyboards
Phil Sargent, electric guitar
Fernando Huergo, electric bass
Bertram Lehmann, drums
George Lernis, kettledrums, frame drums, percussion

On this tour Sanlıkol will also premier his new keyboardless synth, the Continuum Fingerboard, which allows him to play the microtones of Turkish music in jazz.

Locations, Dates/Times, Prices:
Wednesday, October 1, 8:00 PM – Scullers, Cambridge, MA, $25
Thursday, October 2, 7:30 PM – RISD Auditorium, Providence, RI, $20, on the day of the concert $25
Friday, October 3, 8:00 PM – Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY, seated $25/standing $20

A FASIL FOR A PHANARIOT BEYZADE
as part of the 2nd Boston Byzantine Music Festival

DÜNYA ensemble will perform Phanariot songs as well as Ottoman classical music notated by master 19th century Greek Orthodox cantors from the collections entitled Euterpe (1830) and Mousikon Apanthisma (1856/1872). Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol carefully selected compositions that are historically unique or were written by Greek-Ottoman composers in order to create what may have been the kind of a recital that was enjoyed by a Phanariot Beyzade (a Greek-Ottoman prince) in 19th century Istanbul.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
Saturday, November 15, 7:30 PM – Hellenic College Holy Cross, Maliotis Cultural Center, $25 when purchased in advance
For more information about the festival and in advance purchases click here

A SPECIAL FUNDRAISING DINNER WITH TURKISH FASIL

Join us on this very special night where three members of the DÜNYA ensemble will perform Turkish classical and folk music in its most infectious form where audience interaction is expected. The benefits from this concert will be used toward the Spring 2015 programming of DÜNYA.

Location, Date/Time, Price:
Saturday, December 6, 8:00 PM – Filarmonica Santo Antonio, 575 Cambridge St. Cambridge, MA, $40
Open buffet dinner is included in the admission fee. There will also be a cash bar for liquor.
Due to limited seating RSVP required!
Please email serapkantarci@gmail.com for reservations

SPRING 2014

Dün gece seyrim içinde / Last night I dreamt of…:
TURKISH SONGS OF PROTEST

featuring,
Beth Bahia Cohen, yaylı (bowed) tanbur/violin
Burcu Güleç, voice
Robert Labaree, çeng
George Lernis, percussion
and
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, voice/ud/ney/saz

Five musicians of the Dünya Ensemble on vocals and a wide range of traditional instruments offer a lively and varied program: blunt women’s complaints from the countryside, songs which mingle the religious and the secular, songs which express longing and intimacy across ethnic and religious boundaries, “blasphemous” (and therefore politically incendiary) songs by heterodox Sufis, and songs of unconventional love. This is public and private music, for entertainment, contemplation and devotion, expressing explicit border-crossings that defy official or societal norms: “protest music”, in the largest sense.

Locations, Dates/Times, Price:
Thursday, March 27, 8:00 PM – New England Conservatory, Jordan Hall, FREE
Sunday, March 30, 7:30 PM – Boston College, Gasson Hall, FREE
Tuesday, April 1, 8:00 PM – Tufts University, Distler Hall, FREE

Whatsnext
CD Release Concerts

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol will present his modern jazz compositions for big band as well as compositions specifically influenced by Turkish music for the jazz combo from his new album.

Locations, Dates/Times, Prices:
Thursday, April 3, 7:30 PM – Regattabar, Cambridge, MA, $20
Saturday, April 5, 9:30 PM – Drom, New York, NY, $10/adv. $15

April 12, 2014 author

Sanlıkol

2014, Local Series comments

Comments Off

2013

FALL 2013

From the “jazz” of Istanbul to the “blues” of Anatolia

This concert will include folk, religious and popular music from Anatolia, interwoven with classical Ottoman music and urban popular music from different centuries.

Location: AIC Center Boston, 38 Newbury Street #702, Boston, MA
Date/Time: Saturday, September 21, doors open at 7:30PM
Suggested donation: $15

Ottoman Art and Entertainment Musics:
Phanariots, Cantors and Dance

A concert exploring works by Greek-Ottoman composers, transcriptions by Greek Orthodox cantors and urban entertainment music from 17^th through 19^th centuries.

Location: Harvard University, Holden Chapel
Date/Time: Saturday, December 7, 6 PM
Price: $15, Harvard Students $10

From the Byzantine Echos to Ottoman Makam

A concert featuring DÜNYA musicians as well as Greek Orthodox cantors performing Byzantine and Ottoman music together.

Location: CUNY, Elebash Recital Hall
Date/Time: Monday, December 9, 8 PM
Price: FREE

SPRING 2013

Istanbul: East Meets West
Europeans and Ottomans Listen to Each Other, 1500-1700

How is it possible to convey through music something of the complex interactions and tangled identities of these two regions over even two centuries? As the repertoire on this program demonstrates, the concoction of fact, imagination, paranoia, dogma, pragmatism, fantasy, curiosity and misinformation which falls from the pages of letters, diaries and consular reports in this period is matched in the musical documents on both sides. A central figure of this program is the famous Ali Ufki. Included in his collection were numerous pieces which he identified as “European”. We have put pieces excavated from Ali Ufki’s one-of-a-kind collection together with other pieces from western sources to reveal how, in these early modern centuries, The Other was deeply rooted in everyday lives and imaginations on both sides.

Locations, Dates/Times:
Thursday, January 24, 7:30 PM – The First Religious Society, Carlisle
Friday, January 25, 7:30 PM – The Congregational Church of Weston
Saturday, January 26, 7:30 PM – The Salem Athenaeum
Sunday, January 27, 4 PM – Ascension Memorial Church, Ipswich
Monday, January 28, 7:30 PM – Christ Church, Cambridge

STREETS OF ISTANBUL / iSTANBUL SOKAKLARI

with special guests: Brenna MacCrimmon and Phaedon Sinis

A concert exploring one hundred fifty years of music from Istanbul’s many music venues:
tavern and Sufi lodge, salon and cinema