Enchanting Trio: Mozart, Fazıl Say, and the Heybeliada Monastery
Among the most acclaimed and anticipated segment of this year's IKSV Music Festival was the Mozart Marathon with Fazıl Say. The former, a legend...
A Dozen of the Best: The 12 Cellists of the Berlin...
The Istanbul Music Festival is always a highlight of the summer. This is the forty-third year of the festival, and the central theme this time...
“L’Italiano” in Town: Toto Cutugno
As the season comes to an end, concert venues entered the final days and weeks of their performances. Among my favorite venues this year...
Review: Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists @ IKSV Music Festival
Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists: For the past several years, I have been coming across this ensemble again and again. They've become regulars...
Benim Çocugum (My Child): A Must-Watch LGBT Documentary for Istanbul Pride...
It’s LGBT Pride Week in Istanbul, and with celebrations cropping up across Istiklal Street, I thought I’d review a very interesting documentary dealing with...
Star-studded Chamber Music with Kopatchinskaja, Gabetta, Leschenko
Among all the fine music and impressive artists that are and have been part of the 43rd IKSV Music Festival this month, there was...
In Conversation with Selcen Öztürk of Duolingo Turkish
Most of us foreigners living in Turkey struggle with learning Turkish. It’s quite common to find internationals living here for five, ten or even...
City Scherzos: Mother-of-Pearl
We were getting married. We couldn’t believe it. It was unbelievable. We didn’t consider ourselves the marrying type. We were too lazy to get...
Band Profile: Peripheral Dots
Peripheral dots is something you see when you get whacked in the head, strong enough to feel dizzy, but not too fatal to make...
In Conversation with The Away Days
I was introduced to The Away Days by their song “Galaxies” -- the sound was so unique. Probably because my friend who recommended the song...
In Conversation with Mehmet Nasuh Ortak of MNO Jewelry
Master jeweler Mehmet Nasuh Ortak of MNO Jewelry has been creating custom-made jewelry in gold and silver since 1987. Mr. Ortak has also been...
Band Profile: Golden Horn
Ah, spring in the countryside... the chirping birds, the gentle rustling of the foliage in the welcome breeze, the warm shimmer of guitar reverb......
BIPO Ends the Season with Aida, Commemorating La Diva Turca
The increasing temperature is not the only signal that summer is just around the corner. One by one, the concert halls are wrapping up their...
Band Profile: The Young Shaven
There’s a music scene brewing in Istanbul, and it has been for the past few years. It’s no longer all cover bands and Türkü....
Band Profile: Captain Jack and the Bleeding Hearts
Formerly known as the Coach Men, Captain Jack and the Bleeding Hearts have been rocking audiences since their inception back in 2007. Starting as...
Band Profile: Foton Kuşağı Strikes the Right Chords
After going through more bassists than Spinal Tap did drummers, Foton Kuşağı's lineup is finally set, and the band is ready to return to...
In Conversation with FLYING roots, Curatorial Collective and Creators of the...
On March 19, 2015, the MUSEUM OF GARBAGE opened its doors to a crowd of creative thinkers, activists and curious individuals. The space, a...
Letters from Istanbul: In Search of the ‘Real’ English
On the way to work the other morning, the taxi driver, noticing I was a yabancı, asked the usual, inevitable question.
“America,” I answered.
“Amerika?” the driver...
Review: Ayhan Sicimoğlu & Latin All Stars @ Babylon
Babylon has always been the perfect place to head to on a Saturday night in Asmalımescit. The venue hosts local artists as well as...
Istanbul Half Marathon Recap
Although predictions had called for a sunny morning, April 26 turned out to be a dreary day with clouds and slight showers. Nevertheless, many Istanbulites...
Live from Istanbul: The Phantom of the Opera Experience
I remember being five or six years old, and watching in awe as a pretty-looking, round-eyed young woman came on the TV screen, captivating...
City Scherzos: Lahmacuns in the Sky
Ali was a 27-year-old Kurd from the eastern Turkish city of Van. He and his brothers had come to Istanbul nearly a decade before...
In Conversation with Isaac Weiser of Istanbul Connection: Part-band, Part-destination
Recently, a collective of San Francisco-based musicians created a unique musical concept: a band whose primary aim is to reach a travel destination. Luckily...
In Conversation with Ahmet Onur of Kolektif House (Part 2)
Tarik Yassien continues his conversation with Kolektif House co-founder, Ahmet Onur, on what we can expect from the group. You can read Part 1...