Events
Constantly evolving since the 13th century, the Turkish Makam has become one of the worlds’ great music traditions. With Istanbul as its centre, folk, religious and classical music forms of the city and nearby regions create an elaborate tapestry of sound colours. The Turkish Makam has served equally folk music and dance, court audiences as well as Mevlevi ceremonies.
This project will explore compositions of Greek composers of Istanbul like Nikolaki and Petraki, as well as folk Greek tunes and dance.
Musicians:
Alexandros Koustas: klasik kemençe/Politiki Lyra
Baha Yetkin: oud
Alexandros Koustas. Alexandros studied violin and viola at the Royal Academy of Music. He is currently the principal violist of the English National Ballet Philharmonic and was recently appointed as a member of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields .He has been studying the Turkish Makam for the past ten years, focusing on the Klasik Kemençe. Alexandros has taken ethnomusicology classes at SOAS, regularly attends the “Labyrinth” music courses in Crete and has recently completed a Masters in Ethnomusicology at the University of Sheffield. Alexandros recently had the opportunity to play the Kemençe in ENBs’ new production of Akram Khan Giselle with the ENB Philharmonic, in London and on tour.
Baha Yetkin. He began his musical journey in 2000 at the Bogazici Turkish Music Foundation Conservatory, where he studied rhythm, musical notation, and theory in Turkish Classical Music. After completing his education, he became an instructor and concert instrumentalist, performing with various choirs. Over the years, he further honed his skills by taking lessons from renowned oud players such as Mehmet Emin Bitmez, Yurdal Tokcan, and Necati Çelik. He has performed in concerts both domestically and internationally, collaborating with notable musicians like Inci Cayirli, Mustafa Keser, and Zeki Cetin, and has participated in events such as Shakespeare’s Seven Theater Plays and the Alamar Festival. Since 2004, he has been teaching Turkish-style oud and Turkish Classical music theory and rhythm.
Yetkin’s discography includes his first single, Emperian, and debut album, The Pearl (2019), followed by his second and third singles, Shine Again and Tears of the Pearl (2020), and his latest album, The Turkish Oud (2021), released by ARC Music/Naxos World. These works are available on all major digital platforms. He continues to perform and teach both in the UK and online.
Doors open 7pm, Music starts 8.15pm. The venue is mixed seated and standing. Tables are limited, and available on a first come first served basis, so if you’d like a seat, we recommend arriving early!
