Echo's van het Hof - Een muzikale dialoog tussen Oost en West

Echoes of the Court is a distinctive concert program in which Western and Ottoman court music are brought into dialogue. In a unique instrumentation of ney, piano, percussion, viola, and cello, the HarmonEast Ensemble reveals how these musical traditions have influenced one another over the centuries. The music is presented in specially created arrangements that bring the similarities and contrasts between East and West to life in a contemporary way.

The program unfolds chronologically from the 17th to the 20th century, taking the audience on a 350-year musical journey. Works by composers such as Henry Purcell, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Dede Efendi, Callisto Guatelli, Kevser Hanım, and Şerif Muhittin Targan illustrate how court music developed within different cultural and political contexts, and how musical ideas traveled across borders.

Throughout the concert, the musical performances are interwoven with historical reflections that provide insight into the cultural exchange between European and Ottoman courts. Echoes of the Court is therefore not only a concert, but a narrative experience in which music, history, and cultural connectedness come together. The program is aimed at a broad audience and invites listeners to explore, discover, and rediscover a shared musical heritage. (The spoken introductions and reflections are in English.)

Julia Tavit – Piano

Şükrü Kirtiş – Ney

Wilker Paredes – Viola

Beste Yıldız – Cello

Veysel Dzhesur – Percussion

Lesar Yurtsever – Presenter