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Presidential Symphony Orchestra to hold 68 main concerts in its 200th year
The Presidential Symphony Orchestra will open its new season on October 2 with pianist Behzod Abduraimov as soloist as part of its 200th-anniversary celebrations.
Founded in 1826 during the reign of Mahmud II under the name Muzika-i Humayun, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra will continue its 200th-anniversary celebrations with its new season program. The orchestra will open the season on October 2 at CSO Ada Ankara, with pianist Behzod Abduraimov as soloist and Cemi'i Can Deliorman as conductor.
The institution, renamed the Riyaset-i Cumhur Philharmonic Orchestra by order of Atatürk in 1932, became the Riyaset-i Cumhur Symphony Orchestra in 1957 and took its current name, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, in 1970. The orchestra continues its work as the first musical institution in the history of the Republic.
Season program features 95 concerts
The new season will feature 68 regular concerts at the Ziraat Bank Main Hall of CSO Ada Ankara. A total of 27 chamber concerts will be held at the Blue Hall and the Historic Hall.
The program also includes special concerts at the Presidential Complex and Ankara Arena Sports Hall. The orchestra will also perform at major concert halls in Vienna, Prague and the United States as part of its European and U.S. tour.
CSO Permanent Conductor Cemi'i Can Deliorman said the season had been specially prepared for the 200th-anniversary celebrations. Deliorman said the number of events, newly commissioned works, guest artists and guest conductors had been increased.
Deliorman said they aimed to create a program for concerts in Ankara that would match the quality presented at international venues. The season will also include events at the Presidential Complex and a large-scale public concert at Ankara Arena Sports Hall.
New membership packages launched
The orchestra has launched membership packages called Armoni 10, Symphony 15 and Maestro 20 for its audience. The packages will allow listeners to select concerts in advance and secure seats before general sales begin.
Deliorman said tickets sold out quickly because of strong interest in CSO concerts and that the new packages were intended to provide listeners with an affordable option. The events will be held as part of activities carried out under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and with DenizBank as the main supporter.
Repertoire spanning the Ottoman era to the present
CSO Director and flutist Altan Kalmukoğlu said the orchestra's 200-year history would also be reflected in the programs. Kalmukoğlu said works composed by Ottoman sultans, their wives and their children would be performed at the concert “An Evening at the Palace: European Music at the Ottoman Palace,” to be held on February 12 and 13.
Kalmukoğlu said the orchestra aimed to preserve Türkiye's musical heritage, pass it on to future generations and contribute to universal music. He said new works had been commissioned from young and experienced composers as part of these efforts.
Nine new works to be performed
CSO Deputy Director and trombonist Kumsal Germen said nine works had been commissioned for the season. Two of these works will be performed in the Main Hall and seven in the Blue Hall.
One of the works to be performed in the Main Hall will be “Anatolian Rhapsody” by composer Wolf Kerschek, a professor at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg. The other work was written by Turkish composer Mehmet Ali Sandıkoğlu.
The seven works to be performed in the Blue Hall will premiere on May 3, 2027, under the title “The Seven Painful Faces of the Human Soul.” The program will bring international soloists and conductors together with CSO musicians and audiences in Ankara.
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