A Benefit Concert with International Opera Star Demet George Mustafaoglu and Rauf Kasimov on the piano
Only this summer we had the pleasure to hear her sing at the Türksoy Opera Days in Bellapais and now Demetra came up with a fantastic idea:
Though it is celebrated Oct 31 overseas, Bellapais Abbey will host A HALLOWEEN HAPPENING on Thursday Oct 27th 2012, the last day of Kurban Bayram to benefit the Lefkosa Cocuk Yuvasi-Children's Shelter. It's a perfect way to celebrate with this costumed event and help those in need right here at home.
International Opera Star, Grammy List Nominee and the Cyprus Turksoy Opera Days rep for 2012 Demet George Mustafaoglu with Maestro Rauf Kasimov will present MUSIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD in a costumed and staged concert for all the family.
Guests are asked to come in costume with a contest for the best ones beginning at 7pm and 50 prizes for all ages; concert 8 pm and free refreshments. Prizes range from dinners, spa visits, hotel stays, gas, and groceries. Music of the night will include Broadway, Disney, Pop and Ethnic, a meze table of sound for everyone.
There will be visits from the Phantom, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin is expected to drop in. Come and share in the fun. Tickets at Chicago Hair Club, Deniz Plazas, Dome Hotel, Kybele Restaurant and Bellapais Abbey entrance. 25 tl general admission & 30 tl for stage seating. Supported by the Prime Ministers office.
Demet George MUSTAFAOĞLU
Demet who is a former Miss Oklahoma to Miss America and is a talent and swimsuit winner is married to Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Mustafaoglu of Beverly Hills, son of Baykan and Mustafa Abdurrahman. Demet grew up in Oklahoma as Debbie won the Miss Teenage Oklahoma contest and the Miss Teenage America Talent Award and was the Basketball Queen at Oklahoma City University. While sharing a dressing room during a professional tour of the King and I musical with noted Turkish mezzo soprano Inci Basar, Miss Oklahoma Debbie met her husband Mehmet.
From early on Demet showed a love of Turkish music and quickly learned the language and fell in love with the Istiklal Marsi which she has been performing for Turkish American events for over 25 years. She is a member of the American Turkish Association in Southern California, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations and is the founder of the Turkish American Ladies League in Los Angeles. Demet has sung the anthems at the Cumhuriyet Bayrams all across the United States and acted as emcee of the balls and conventions.
In 2002, Demet made the Grammy List Nominations for her compact disc of “Love Arias” and she has appeared on all the major US television networks, radio, and concert and opera halls in the USA, Mediterranean countries, and Central America with over 150 symphony orchestras. She has sung for 4 US presidents to date, Turkish and Azeri dignitaries and will shortly appear with the esteemed Baku Philharmonic in Azerbaijan as the first American soprano. She also sings the Azeri National Anthem.
Oklahoma City University will confer an honorary Doctorate of Music on Beverly Hills soprano Demetra George at winter commencement exercises on Dec. 14.
Miss George who attended OCU as Debbie Giannopoulos was crowned Miss Oklahoma and All College Basketball Queen. Earlier, as Miss Teenage OKC, she won the national talent award and later, as Miss Oklahoma, she went on to represent her state in the Miss America Pageant. She has been inducted into the OCU Performance Hall of Honor.
The singer has appeared on national television and radio, at Carnegie Hall and she has performed for four U.S. presidents. She has soloed with more than 150 symphony orchestras, including the Japan Philharmonic, Sofia Bulgaria State Theater Orchestra and the Fundacion Musicale de Honduras and she has sung leading operatic roles in Boston, Houston, Tampa, Palm Beach, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and Las Vegas. She is a student and protégé of famed voice teacher Nina Hinson.
In 2008, she became the first American artist to solo with the Baku (Azerbaijan) Philharmonic in a pops concert of opera and Broadway songs. She premiered their new national anthem in the United States and was invited to sing for the President and dignitaries.
"I've been blessed to travel and meet amazing people throughout out the world," she said. "I have learned that you must have a dream, a passion, and that if you work hard, have courage, care about people and live with integrity, you will find success and happiness". She continued, "In my music, I am a servant of God and I breathe life into the notes on the page and make them live as I bring joy to others. Each day I live, I aim to infuse the same joy and passion for life into the lives of the people around me."
Miss George was nominated for a Grammy in 2002 for her CD, "Demetra George Sings Love Arias" and in 1995, the governors of Oklahoma and Florida honored her for her production of "Help for the Heartland, With Love From Florida" concert that raised a considerable sun for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Miss George is active, decorated and performs for a number of organizations such as the World Affairs Council, LA Consular Corps, the American Friends of Israel and Turkey, the ALS organization, ATAA, ATASC, Optimist Club Int'l, and TALL, a ladies group she founded five years ago that aids blind and underprivileged children in the US and abroad.
Miss George teaches private voice lessons to 80 students in Los Angeles and Palm Beach, of which 13 have performed leading roles in such Broadway shows as Annie Get Your Gun, Beauty and the Beast, Falsettos, Grease, The King and I (Tony Award cast), Les Miserables, The Lion King, Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, Wicked and Wonderful Town. Her students also have starred in Disney films and on the Family television channel.
The mother of two college-age daughters, Miss George is married to Beverly Hills businessman Mike Mustafoglu who is the Honorary Consul General from North Cyprus to the US.