The Presidential Symphony Orchestra and seven great singers 

By Heidi Trautmann

A big thank you for this beautiful concert at the Spectrum Hall at the Girne American University, a thank you to the organisers who set up a most beautiful programme, and a thank you to the artists, the 27 members of the orchestra, its Konzertmeister Nihat Ağdaç and the chef Ali Hoca. And finally a big thank you to the soloists, singers of outstanding quality.  Beste Berk, Soprano, born in Nicosia in 1985;  Laden Ince, Soprano, born in Nicosia in 1986; Sermin Dikmen Töre, Soprano, born in Bursa/Turkey; Vasfiye Çakırtaş, Soprano, born in Nicosia in 1981; Tuğrul Enver Töre, Baritone, born in Yeşilyurt/Lefke; Arda Aktar, Baritone, born in Ankara;  Ahmet Zeyin, Bas Baritone, born in Nicosia in 1988.  Young singers of the finest quality.  We have heard them perform before on occasions of our music festivals and the Turkic Opera Days.  It was great pleasure to meet them again. Some of them we are following closely, their personal development, we hear from them how they fare on the international opera stages and in great concerts. We are very proud of them.

The Spectrum Hall was packed full with music lovers. They greatly enjoyed the programme offered, 16 pieces, among them well known arias by Mozart, Bizet, Gounod, Donizetti, Offenbach, Lehar and at the end a Turkish composition  ‘Mazi Kalimde Bir Yaradir’, many around me in the audience joined in, plus one piece by Ali Hoca, a Tango Potpourri, with all singers joining. Standing ovations….. and so we got our Encore.

There were some things which disturbed me, and not only me. There was a microphone installed next to the piano which occasionally drowned the voices of the soloists, it was very annoying. Also, the lighting was not good, the light on the singers figures was blueish, there should have been a warm light directed onto their faces. The other thing which showed not the least respect for the occasion, was those young men who rushed onto stage in their very casual outfit, it was not a sports event.  I hope my critic on these technical things is understood correctly, it does not negate the success of the evening.