News
- Cihat Askin is creating "Turkish Violin Team" for Keshet Eilon 2008
- "Istanbulin" in Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall (18 Jan '08)...
- Cihat Askin's new album "Istanbulin" reliazed...
- Kreutzer Etudes on CD...
Latest News
CIHAT ASKIN & KAMRAN INCE PERFORM ‘ THE AMBIANT MUSIC PROJECT’
Turkish violinist Cihat Askin is going to perform 'The Ambiant Music Project' by Kamran Ince in Memphis. The concert will take place in Memphis University on Thursday, 13 March 2008. The ensemble will be conducted by the composer himself. The Ambiant Music Project was composed in 2007 and was first performed by Cihat Askin in Istanbul. It consists of 17 tracks which reflects different moods with some ethnic Turkish flavours.
The collaboration between Askin and Ince started in 1999 with the establishment of Advanced Music Research Center of Istanbul Technical University. The institute was accepted as one of the best among the schools which were devoted to modern music. Askin championed Kamran Ince's violin works over a period of ten years and Ince recently dedicated his Partita for Violin and percussion instruments to Askin who will premiere the piece in coming season.
Apart from his concerts in the USA, Cihat Askin is also giving a composition seminer on Turkish violin music to the students of Memphis University on Wednesday, 12 March 2008.
ASKIN IS GIVING A MASTERCLASS IN PITTSBURG UNIVERSITY
Violinist Cihat Askin is giving a masterclass to the students of Pittsburg University, on 6 March, Thursday at College of Arts and Science. In his masterclasse Askin will teach the students from the College and give a speech about his own Cihat Askin and Little Friends Project. 4 March 2008
KREUTZER ETUDES ON CD
CIHAT ASKIN – violin
Kalan Music CD 377
French violinist and composer of world fame Rodolphe Kreutzer wrote his 42 Etudés for violin training in 1796. Since then, these Etudés became a major source for both violin students and also experts. Kreutzer Etudés had never been recorded on CD, until by Cihat Askin in 2003. The CD is now published in Turkey , by Kalan Music , this week.
Kreutzer Etudés' superiority was accepted world wide, they were played by the major violinists of the time and set the pace for future violinists. Wieniawski , Auer , Szigeti , Kogan emphasized the importance of Kreutzer Etudés. Heifetz praised them as “ The Holy Book of a Violinist ”.
These Etudés are relevant for both the right and the left hand techniques. They reflect the technical characteristics of the 18 th century French School . Rodolphe Kreutzer was a great artist who inspired many of his contemporaries. Thus Beethoven dedicated his famous sonata to him, Tolstoy titled one of his novels “ Kreutzer Sonata ”, Janacek composed a quartet in his name.
11 July 2006, Istanbul
Young composer Arda Ardases Agosyan dedicated his violin concerto to Cihat ASKIN
Young composer Arda Ardases Agosyan, dedicated his newly written violin concerto to Cihat Askin. Agosyan is one of the leading artists of the young generation, who continues his works both as a contrabass and a composer. In recent years, Agosyan has concentrated on composing; and in Violin Concerto, he used stringed instruments, harp, timpani and glockenspiel besides solo violin. The concerto lasts 20 minutes and will be performed by Cihat Askin as the solist with Istanbul Chamber Orchestra in Hakan Sensoy's conduct, forthcoming season for the first time. After Istanbul , it is planned to be performed also in Armenia . The concerto is planned to be recorded as a CD.
July, 8 th 2006 Istanbul
An article from Syria Times by Dr. Sadek Pharaon
Turkish Violin & Piano Recital at Dar Al Assad
Under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, Dar Al Assad for Culture and Arts, in cooperation with the Turkish Embassy in Damascus , invited music lovers to a violin and piano recital to be given by the Turkish artists: Mr. Jihat Ashkin, violin, and Miss Mehru Anssari, piano, at the Multi-purpose Hall. The administration of the Dar doesn`t disclose the programme of its activities, so a discriminating listener can`t know what genre of music is he/she going to experience until they arrive for the recital However, what prompted me to attend was that my first teacher of violin in Damascus was a Turk: the late Shawky Bey Zoorba, violinist of the last Ottoman Sultan, who both fled to Beirut, and the lonely and forsaken violinist left to Damascus to live his last years and to die here. My first study years were in traditional Turkish Semais, Beshrevs, and Longas.. Then I converted permanently to classical music. I was curious and longing to find out how Turkish music had changed in half-a-century.
It is relevant to say that both these young musicians studied music quite early and continued their studies in Europe and won many world-acknowledged prizes. This small, cozy, friendly and intimate hall was full with enthusiastic listeners. First Mr. Jihat or Jihad appeared alone, greeted the audience with a nice smile and then played Ferahfeza Peshrev, F. Semai, and Shataraban Saz Semai, all by the classical Turkish composer: Tanburi Djemil Bey. These works were performed in the well-tempered scale, i.e. without using the old makams` microtones. They were interpreted in a fresh and modern spirit and elicited high ovation from the audience. For me, they took me back six decades back when my Turkish teacher and I were playing them in a metronome-like monotony. This refreshing way of performance gave them a live and superb spirit. After that, he played with the piano many pieces: Turkish Miniatures composed by him. He proved to be a fine composer who is entrenched in the old classical realm of Turkish music. His style is, however, fresh and melodic. There was a short interval, then both artists played R. Schumann`s Violin Sonata in A minor, Op. 105. It is rich in powerful emotions and poetical nature. It was superbly performed by both and was received with high applause. Then Mr. Jihat expressed his pleasure over being in Damascus for the first time and for visiting the High Institute of Music where he met the new generation of musicians. He played a piece written by one of them: Mr. Hassan Taha, for violin solo. It is a beautiful work of modern, nearly atonal, nature which betrays the beginnings of a fine composer who is making a breakthrough out of the enclosure of Oriental mono-tonality. Then Mr. Jihat played many of his compositions that proved he is a superb virtuoso with extraordinary dominance of his fine instrument. His vibrato, his double-stops, staccato, spiccato and his intonation are really superb. The end of the concert was fascinating. The audience gave a standing ovation. Roses were presented to the artists and they kindly played an encore: Longa by Mr. Jihat too, a Paganini-like Perpetuum Mobile, but with an Oriental flavour. This fine concert gave a noble message to Turkey , Syria and all the surrounding East: that we cannot and should completely throw back our past and heritage, and if we do, we become shapeless and insipid.
Dear Turkish artists. Thank you from a friendly heart and please do come again (Buyrum and Tashakkurat Effendem). Music can do miracles and will correct and remedy what politics had spoiled...
Dr. Sadek Pharaon / Syria Times, 25.06.2006