Why It’s OK to Love “The Water Diviner”
The Water Diviner, or Son Umut in Turkish, is a film about a father traveling from Australia to find his sons lost in the...
La Bayadere: Fusing Russian Composition, French Moves and Indian Sultriness
I was introduced to La Bayadere some years ago, in 2007, back in the days when the AKM -- the Ataturk Cultural Center located...
Review of ISTrapped: Turkey’s First Room Escape Game
Istanbul is a city of countless sights and activities, which makes getting locked up in a room for an hour seem like a strange...
“The Water Diviner”: Dancing with the Last Samurai’s Braveheart Horse Whisperer
No, that headline is not a misprint. It was my impression upon seeing The Water Diviner (Son Umut), a new film that opened in...
Joshua Bell: From Childhood Crush to Global Superstar and into Istanbul…
The year is 1990. I am a fifth grader at the American International School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and a first year violin student...
Insider Trading: Culinary Walks with Gourmet Holidays
Everybody knows that Istanbul is full of history and culture, so what better way to experience it than by tasting your way through both?...
Parov Stelar and Oi Va Voi: A Proper Dance Party at...
A few months ago, I never would have believed that listening to a fusion of jazz and electronic music would be a pleasant or...
Review: Ane Brun @ Küçükçiftlik Park
With her Norwegian roots, amazingly unique covers and acoustic performances, Ane Brun took the audience to her somewhat sad but mostly peaceful musical world...
Violin’s Global Star Sarah Chang @ İş Sanat
There are certain names that you just cannot dismiss. And Sarah Chang is at the forefront of these names. YouTube has thousands of videos...
Review: Mashrou’ Leila @ Bronx Pi Sahne
On Friday, Nov. 28, a group of friends and I were getting pumped for a concert in Istanbul that we had all been looking forward...
Review: GoGo Penguin @ Salon IKSV
As a band name, 'GoGo Penguin' doesn't exactly carry the weight or edginess that one usually associates with a jazz trio. But as soon as...
Dance of Fire with Ursula Lopez
The TIM Maslak Show Center is a venue that offers myriad alternatives, from ballet to modern circus to music of various genres. And several...
Life under Occupation: A Review of Eleni by Nicholas Gage
When Mosul was invaded in June, one of the first announcements made by ISIS was that the civilians within their territory would be treated...
The Kronos Quartet Crawls into Our Souls at the CRR
I remember very clearly the day that I was introduced to the Kronos Quartet. It was 1992 and I was in seventh grade. It...
Recap of the Istanbul Marathon
At least it wasn't too hot. That's what I was thinking to myself as I lined up for the 15 km run this past...
Sarah Brightman Rocks our Souls in Istanbul
I remember being 5 or 6 years old and watching in awe as a pretty-looking, round-eyed young woman came on the TV screen, captivating...
Grammy Award-winning Night in Calisia at the CRR
Just a couple of days after the Berlin Konzerthaus Chamber Orchestra, CRR was the host of a very unique evening: they brought together on...
Berlin Konzerthaus: European Delight at the CRR
The Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall is hosting quite a program this year, and it finished October off with impressive performances back to back. Among...
Review: IKSV 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial
At its core, the 2nd Istanbul Design Biennial, titled The Future Is Not What It Used To Be, encourages you to think and rethink...
Menuhin’s Prodigious Youth Perform in the Bach Festival
If you are into classical music at all, there is no chance that you have not heard of Yehudi Menuhin. He is the single most...
Review: Chet Faker @ Volkswagen Arena
I have a theory about Chet Faker: he is not really a musician but instead a ninja in disguise. And during last Saturday's concert...
Review: Konstantin Lifschitz, Effortless in Istanbul
Istanbul has been around since 660 B.C., back when it was Byzantium. Bach is more than 300 years old. Neve Shalom Synagogue is from...
Beauty and the Beast: A Fairy Tale Comes Alive
The Zorlu Center PSM kicked October off with a performance series that justly made the news, hit the papers, turned heads, and made art...
Review: Coldplace @ Bronx Pi Sahne
Let me set the scene: it's a summer night in 2000 and I'm inside my first car. I approach a traffic light while listening...