Turkey-Armenia Youth Symphony Orchestra

Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall

Realised with the collaboration of İKSV, Anadolu Kultur and Bosphorus University, Turkey-Armenia Youth Symphony led by the conductors Nvart Andreassian and Cem Mansur performed to the audience on Friday evening, July 16 at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.

The concert was held with the contribution of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and with the support of the Istanbul 2010 European Cultural Capital Agency. During the concert, the Youth Symphony Orchestra formed by young Turkish and Armenian musicians performed works of composers among which those from both countries were also present. Beethoven's Egmont Overture was followed by Ulvi Cemal Erkin's Violin Concerto and 18-year-old young violinist Hande Küden was the soloist on stage. On the second part of the concert, young violinist Hrayr Karapetyan played Aram Haçaturyan's Violin Concerto as the soloist. Afterwards, the orchestra led by Cem Mansur ve Nvart Andressian also performed Works from Bizet and Bedrich Smetana.

Turkey-Armenian Youth Symphony Orchestra was realised with the cooperation of Istanbul-born orchestra conductor Nvart Andreassian and conductor Cem Mansur. The auditions in Armenia were conducted by Nvart Andreassian with the support of Cadence Music and in Turkey by Cem Mansur in conservatories. To form the orchestra, the conductors listened to hundreds of musicians from conservatories, and chose 65 talented Turkish and Armenian musicians aged between 18 and 23 depending on the individual characteristics and their musical quality.

Born in Istanbul, Nvart Andressian earned the appreciation of composers and her colleagues from all around the world throughout her career of 40 years as an orchestra conductor. As an expert in French music interpretation, Nvart Andressian acted as the conductor of Contemporary French Music Band "Polychromie" and as the art director of the "Polychromie" Contemporary Art Festival for 20 years in France. Andressian acted as the orchestra and choir conductor in National Lille Conservatory, has taught about that field and also acted as Music Director of Armenian State Opera and Tianjin Symphony Orchestra in China. Since 2005, Andressian teaches in Moscow Tchaïkovski State Conservatory.

The founding conductor of the Turkish National Youth Symphony Orchestra, Cem Mansur received his music education at City University London in Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he received Ricordi Conducting Award, and later in Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute, where he studied under Leonard Bernstein. Mansur acted as the conductor of Istanbul State Opera between 1981 and 1989, has performed in concerts with many soloists and orchestras of worldwide fame; acted as the Primary Conductor of Oxford City Orchestra between 1989 and 1997. In 1998, he was appointed as the permanent conductor of Akbank Chambre Orchestra. Mansur, who has led the interracial youth orchestra and festival in South Africa in 2007 and 2008, is the honorary president of the Ipswich Choral Society, the second oldest choir in England.