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...
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...
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...
Rezan Has Museum: A Gem on the Golden Horn
The Golden Horn was of great importance during the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. This deep, natural harbor was a strategic point to defend the...
Review: Magnum Contact Sheets @ Istanbul Modern
I'm giddy and excited as I enter the Magnum Contact Sheets exhibition at the Istanbul Modern. This show provides a look at some of...
!F Istanbul International Independent Film Festival Awards Ceremony
!f Istanbul 2015, Istanbul's premier independent film festival, wrapped up recently at Nu Pera in Beyoğlu. It wasn't like you would expect, if the...
Marking the Season with BIPO and the Salzburg Bach Choir
The Borusan Philharmonic is one of the most popular of orchestras in Turkey. They take the stage every month or so at the Lütfi...
Finding and Tasting Turkey’s Microbrews: Gara Guzu and Pera
Beer in Istanbul is a touchy subject for a lot of expats, who generally fall into a few camps when it comes to preference....
Review: Pinhâni @ Kadıköy Sahne
Howling winds and frigid cold this past Saturday night did little to dissuade a group of us from attending the Pinhâni show at Kadıköy...
Ringing in the Chinese New Year with Pop-Up Restaurant Istanbul
As to be expected, the past four years I've spent in Istanbul has seen a transition from new restaurants, new neighborhoods and the constant...
Review: Alberto Giacometti Retrospective @ Pera Museum
Although not overwhelming in its content, the Pera Museum's retrospective of Swiss artist, Alberto Giacometti (1901- 1966) is both impressive and comprehensive. Expertly curated,...
Review: Romeo & Giulietta Changing the World with their Love
Timeless masterpieces transcend their own genre and become a source of inspiration for artists across all mediums. Istanbul is currently witness to one of the...
“Girls of Hope”: Education and Gender in Rural Turkey
You might have already noticed that Istanbul is a place that can be hard to comprehend. Thousands of years of history, millions of inhabitants,...
Review: Charlie Parker Tribute @ Salon IKSV
Since 2011, Salon IKSV has been organizing special sessions to pay tribute to some of the most unforgettable names in jazz. Each year these...
Muxtar: A Documentary about Democracy in the Village
Democracy: A political system defined by the vote of the people and the service of elected representatives whose main duty is to meet the...
Çays & Guys (Part 1): Exploring Winter Drinks and Online Dating...
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, scrounging up a date and finding a place to take 'em can be quite the daunting task....
Review: “Painter and Painting: A Mehmet Güleryüz Retrospective” @ Istanbul Modern
By Sheldon Heyes
The life and career of acclaimed Turkish artist Mehmet Güleryüz is on exhibition at the Istanbul Modern Museum until June 2015.
200 pieces...
Review: Akram Zaatari @ SALT Beyoğlu
SALT Beyoğlu is an impressive space, with six stories of beautiful facilities (I'm personally partial to the free and clean public restroom on the...