Istanbul's district of Başakşehir hosted the world-famous pianist Evgeny Grinko as part of the cultural and artistic activities hosted by the district municipality.
The artist that dazzled the world with his composition "Valse" ("Waltz"), through his magical tones from the ivory keys, played his songs for Istanbulities, presenting both a visual and audial feast to the audience with his orchestra. At the beginning of his concert, he greeted the audience by speaking Turkish.
Grinko is one of the well-known pianists in Türkiye, as there is a large fan base who are very interested in his melodies and establish a deep bond. His unique compositions precede his fame in Türkiye. "I am happy that Turkish people are so interested in my works. I think I have a special place in the eyes of Turkish people. I also see that the Turkish nation has a really deep-rooted taste in music," he said, speaking to Daily Sabah after the concert.
His practice of music comes from his natural-born artistic ability. Even though he does not have formal training, his simple yet dazzling compositions are based on the sequential order of short melodies, which makes his music unique, and encompassing, handling a melancholy reminiscent of broken dreams.
He was born in 1984, in Jukovski, a small settlement in Russia, and started his musical career playing drums in punk rock groups and created his first composition when he was 16 years old. The experience of employing different instruments contributed to him playing many different instruments in his concerts, just as in Başakşehir. He showcased his talent with the drums and guitar during his performance.
His music also carries traces of his geography. One of the evident examples of this is the Chornobyl explosion in 1986 that occurred near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian part of the former Soviet Union. It was the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation, leaving 30,000 residents to evacuate the city. He dedicated his composition "Morning in Pripyat" to this incident, almost depicting the story behind a foggy screen.
Bonding with his roots, Grinko, who dedicated one of his compositions to those who lost their lives in the war that occurred after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to the Ukrainian people, was applauded with great enthusiasm.
Evgeny Grinko has performed numerous concerts in Türkiye, performing with a large violin, accordion team and drummer in his performances. "Generally, I was fascinated with all the cities I went to in Türkiye. I strongly believe that every city that I gave a concert had a different magic," he said when we asked about his favorite city in the country.
As an independent musician when he released his first video "Valse" in late 2010 enchanting the world with simple piano tunes accompanied by a piano accordion, the work boasted over 38 million views on YouTube. When we asked what the story behind the composition that made the whole world mesmerized was, he said: "As Beethoven's 76 (six variations on an original theme for piano in D major) and 89 (polonaise in C major) compositions, my work does not have a story. I believe that my tunes can share many stories. I leave that to the power of music."
As the orchestra lose themselves in the harmony of music during the Başakşehir concert, we felt the urge to ask if the piano was an alternative to escape from the real world or mere passion. "I would say both of them. I wouldn't call it a total escape or a pure passion yet it somehow functions for both," he said.
Wherever he gives his concert, the venues are overflowing with people. "I like Turkish culture. Especially the food, baklava, tea and kebab are very special to me. I like the musical culture and the exquisite taste of music."
