The Italian Embassy in Ankara has organised, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the “Italy- Türkiye Friendship Concert”, which was included by the Turkish authorities among the official celebrations of the Centenary of the Turkish Republic. The event, held on 4 December in the Main Hall of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, was attended by more than two thousand people. The centrepiece of the concert was Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem”.
“Bilateral relations between Italy and Türkiye”, said Italian Ambassador Giorgio Marrapodi, “are strong and thriving. The numerous cultural diplomacy initiatives that we carry out in different sectors, from cinema to music, from design to cuisine as well as contemporary art, strengthen our relationship and allow us to look to the future with optimism”.
Starring in the concert, an initiative born out of full cultural cooperation between the two countries, were not only the choir and orchestra, but also conductor Andrea Solinas, and soloists Asude Karayavuz and Simge Büyükedes for Türkiye and Luciano Ganci and Riccardo Zanellato for Italy.
The next event to be performed in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra will be Giacomo Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria”, scheduled for 19 January 2024. The initiative is again organized by the Italian Embassy in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Istanbul and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye. The event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of the Tuscan composer.