While Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality brought citizens together with their favorite artists through free culture and art events organized in 2023, it allowed the city to experience a year full of art. Public concerts, shows and entertainments held especially in the summer months added meaning to the unity and solidarity of the city. The Metropolitan Municipal Conservatory's popular choirs and Chamber Orchestra also gave concerts throughout the year, performing important works.
NEV EDA TSM CHORUS WELCOME SPRING
Nev Eda Turkish Classical Music Choir, one of the popular choirs of the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory, welcomed spring with a concert. In the concert conducted by conductor Erbil Aydın, works in Kürdilihicazkar, Rast, Hicaz and Nihavend maqams were performed with great success.
OFFICIAL CONCERT FROM TSM CHORUS
In the first days of summer, the Turkish Classical Music Choir, which operates within the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory, gave art lovers an unforgettable evening with its maqam concert consisting of Kurdilihicazkar works. The choir, under the direction of conductor Neşe Sarısözen Adalı, successfully performed the kurdilihicazkâr pieces, which are among the most difficult modes of Turkish Classical Music.
TURKISH FESTIVAL WITH oriental nightingales
The Turkish Folk Music Choir of the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory created a folk song in Kocaeli. The "Oriental Nightingales" concert, compiled from the most beautiful folk songs of the Southeastern Region, was among the most popular concerts of the year. THM Choir, under the direction of conductor Nuray Polat Gündoğan, performed works from Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Mardin regions at the concert, and appealed to both ears and hearts with solo performances. Citizens who listened to the concert, which was like a Sıra Night, started to sing some of the folk songs. zamwith applause zamThe moment was accompanied by halay dances.
MUSIC ASSOCIATION CHOIR
Metropolitan Music Association TSM Choir was also among the choirs that gave a concert during the year. The choir gave a concert consisting of the compositions of Alaeddin Yavaşça and Zeki Müren, two great composers of Turkey.
YAVUZ BINGÖL SANG FOR AŞIK VEYSEL
The concert held in memory of the folk poet Aşık Veysel was among the most meaningful events of the year. Aşık Veysel's folk songs were performed by the famous artist Yavuz Bingöl. Before the concert, a video about Aşık Veysel's life was shown.
SUMMER JOY HAS BEEN ANOTHER
When the calendar showed July, Summer Joy events started in Kocaeli. Metropolitan's Summer Joy concerts started with the Semicenk concert within the scope of the Liberation of Karamürsel from Enemy Occupation activities. Citizens of Karamürsel had an unforgettable evening with the songs of the famous singer Semicenk. Popular artist Cengiz Kurtoğlu also attended the independence celebrations. The Metropolitan Municipality continued to celebrate the 102 years of Karamürsel's liberation from enemy occupation with a Cengiz Kurtoğlu concert. Cengiz Kurtoğlu, the powerful voice of fantasy music, met with his fans at Karamürsel Kordon beach.
SINGLES RISED FROM THE MANSION
In addition to Summer Joy events, concerts held in historical venues of the city continued throughout the year. In this context, the Metropolitan Municipality brought composer and pianist Tuluyhan Uğurlu together with art lovers from Kocaeli. The artist gave an unforgettable concert in the garden of Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion, one of the most important historical places in Kocaeli. At the concert themed "Sun Country Anatolia", where thousands of years of Anatolian civilizations were told, messages of unity and solidarity were sent from Kocaeli to all of Turkey. Tuluyhan Uğurlu was accompanied by piper Murat Toraman in some parts of this important concert.
TACHURI CONCERT IS AMONG THE UNFORGETTABLE
This time, Selim Sırrı Paşa Mansion hosted the Mansion Tunes Tachuri Concert in the last week of August. World-famous Argentinian guitarist Ricardo Moyano and widely known Metropolitan Municipal Conservatory oud instructor and oud player Prof. The concert, in which Enver Mete Aslan took part, was a performance that will be remembered for years to come. The magnificent harmony of oud and guitar took its place among the most beautiful melodies echoing from Selim Sırrı Pasha Mansion.
AUGUST 30 EXCITEMENT AT SEKA PARK
30 August Victory Day was celebrated with enthusiastic events this year too. The Metropolitan Municipality provided Kocaeli residents with an unforgettable concert on the 30st anniversary of August 101 Victory Day. Famous singer Fettah Can added enthusiasm to the Victory Day celebrations with his most beautiful songs. The 10 Year Anthem performed at the concert literally crowned the glorious victory.
THE GREAT LEADER ATATÜRK WAS REMEMBERED WITH HIS FAVORITE SONGS
The Metropolitan Municipality commemorated Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, with his favorite songs and folk songs on the 85th anniversary of his death. “Atatürk's Favorite Songs and Folk Songs Concert” was held at Gebze Osman Hamdi Bey Cultural Center on Saturday, November 11th. At the concert, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory voice instructor Tuğçe Erenci performed Atatürk's favorite and zaman zamAn presented a repertoire of songs and folk songs that he also recited.
2023 WAS THE YEAR OF THE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
On the other hand, the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory Chamber Orchestra, which performed before the people of Kocaeli by giving its first concert in May 2022, became the shining star of 2023 with its successful performance within a year. The orchestra gave 2023 concerts in 3. The Chamber Orchestra, which gave its first concert of the year in June under the direction of conductor Engin Şen, performed a wide range of works from waltzes to tangos and folk songs with great success. The Chamber Orchestra received a standing ovation for several minutes at the concert, which attracted great attention from classical music lovers. At the concert where Tuğçe Erenci, one of the Metropolitan Municipality Conservatory Voice Instructors, took part as a soloist, the Ministry of Culture instrumentalists Özata Ayan, Emre Erdal and Turgut Özüfler accompanied the Chamber Orchestra as guest soloists. The popular orchestra once again amazed classical music lovers with its Symphonic Tones from East to West concert in September. While the works performed at the concert at Selim Sırrı Paşa Mansion met on the universal denominator of music, they also revealed the harmony of differences. At the end of the concert, the guests applauded the Metropolitan Municipality Orchestra and its accompanying soloists for several minutes. The chamber orchestra gave one of the most important concerts of the year at the Kocaeli Book Fair, which was held this year. The orchestra, under the direction of conductor Engin Şen, met with book lovers at Kocaeli Congress Center within the scope of the Light of the Cities events. In the concert titled Tones of the City, Metropolitan Municipal Conservatory voice instructor Tuğçe Erenci accompanied the chamber orchestra as a soloist. A wide range of works ranging from folk songs to western melodies were performed at the concert.
