Fazıl Say is artist in residence
The pianist and composer Fazıl Say is considered one of Turkey's most important artists - an exceptional musician whose impact transcends the boundaries of classical music. For him, music is a universal medium that builds bridges: between classical and jazz, Orient and Occident, high and pop culture, and above all between people. This cultural credo not only characterises his work, but also his life, which is deeply rooted in Istanbul. The vibrant metropolis that inspires him is also reflected in his music. No other artist is able to embody this year's city focus on Istanbul and the unifying power of music as impressively as Fazıl Say.
As the portrait artist of the SHMF 2025, he presents an impressive programme that showcases his artistic diversity as a pianist and composer in 17 concerts. The programme ranges from solo recitals and chamber music to large symphonic works and shows the different dimensions of his musical work.
Fazıl Say already demonstrates the breadth of his artistic expression with the first concert, in which he and Turkish soprano Görkem Ezgi Yıldırım bring songs by Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel into dialogue with his own compositions. His musical richness also unfolds in two chamber music evenings with last year's portrait artist Asya Fateyeva, Sabine Meyer and the Goldmund Quartet, in which works by Robert Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Francis Poulenc are performed. The symbiosis of Eastern and Western musical traditions is evident in Fazıl Say's symphonic concertos. This is evident both in his mandolin concerto created especially for Avi Avital, which will be premiered at the SHMF, and in five of his six symphonies, which will be presented over the course of the festival summer.
His concerts will feature numerous excellent musical partners and ensembles, including cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, mandolinist Avi Avital, trumpeter Gábor Boldoczki as well as the Philharmonia Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie and the Camerata Salzburg.
Please find here all projects of Fazıl Say at SHMF 2025.