Turkish opera's great master, composer and conductor Okan Demiriş's "Murat IV" opera was performed at the Haliç Congress Center Open Air Stage as part of the 13th International Istanbul Opera Festival.
Engin Suna acted out the Ottoman Sultan Murat IV throughout the play, which revolves around the Ottoman Empire, the mysterious life of the palace, throne struggles between 1623 and 1640, and the Ottoman Sultan Murat IV, who was only 11-12 years old when enthroned.
The piece, one of the outstanding examples of the National Turkish Opera, was staged with a polyphonic performance of traditional and mystical music.
The libretto of "Murat IV" piece belongs to Turan Oflazoğlu while the stage management is done by Haldun Özerten under the direction of conductor Hakan Kalkan, one of the orchestra chief of Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Orchestra.
One of the important productions of the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, Murat IV Opera, won the appreciation of opera enthusiasts from Istanbul. Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Özgül Özkan Yavuz, Austria's Istanbul Consul General Josef Saiger and Japan's Istanbul Consul General Kenichi Kasahara, libretto writer Turan Oflazoğlu and Demiriş's daughter Arzu Demirer were also among the art lovers who watched the performance.
