Festival Encounter, one of the Istanbul Music Festival’s most established series, brings together tenor Ian Bostridge, pianist Saskia Giorgini, and mezzo-soprano Feride Büyükdenktaş at Kadıköy Municipality Opera House on Monday 22 June. Built around the intimacy and precision of the art song tradition, this program pairs an internationally revered interpreter of the Lied repertoire with a rising voice whose tonal range moves between mezzo-soprano and lyric contralto. The result is a meeting of experience and emergence, shaped through a format that places equal weight on textual nuance and musical clarity. Tickets are available via Passo.
Ian Bostridge’s career has long been associated with a rigorous and intellectual approach to vocal interpretation. Initially trained as a historian, he brings a scholarly sensibility to his performances, particularly in canonical works such as Schubert’s Winterreise, which he has recorded and performed extensively. His discography reflects a sustained engagement with German Lied as well as British vocal music, often emphasizing psychological depth over vocal display. This has positioned him as a distinctive figure among tenors, one who prioritizes narrative and articulation in equal measure.
Saskia Giorgini, a pianist with a growing international profile, has built her reputation through a combination of technical control and interpretive sensitivity. A winner of major international competitions, her playing is marked by a careful attention to phrasing and balance, qualities that make her a sought after collaborator in vocal repertoire. Her partnership with Bostridge is grounded in this shared focus on detail, where the piano is not accompaniment but an equal voice in the unfolding of the music.
Feride Büyükdenktaş represents a different point in the musical timeline, bringing a voice that carries both weight and flexibility. Her ability to navigate a lower register with clarity while maintaining lyricism allows her to move across repertoires that demand both depth and agility. As part of a new generation of performers, her presence within this program introduces a contrast that extends beyond age, offering a different perspective on vocal colour and expression.
On stage, the convergence of these three musicians creates a setting where the smallest shifts in tone and emphasis carry meaning. The performance at Kadıköy Belediyesi Süreyya Operası foregrounds listening as an active process, where voice and piano interact in close dialogue rather than projection. Monday 22 June presents a program that is less about scale and more about precision, drawing attention to the enduring relevance of the art song as a form that continues to evolve through interpretation.
For more information, follow the 54th Istanbul Music Festival. Tickets are available via Passo.
Osmanağa, Gen. Asım Gündüz Cd. No:29, 34710 Kadıköy/İstanbul
