The 18th International Antalya Piano Festival, one of the most important art events in Turkey, started on Nov. 1 with a piano performance by Spanish pianist Manolo Carrasco, with Mayor Menderes Türel accompanying him for a song. Hosted by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, the music festival, which art lovers wait for with great excitement every year, brings together musicians from classical music, jazz and Flamenco.Manolo Carrasco

Many famous Turkish and foreign figures, such as Stephane Blet, Cem Esen, Emre Elivar, Ariadna Castellanos, Çağ Erçağ, Nurkan Renda, Luz Casal, Güher & Süher Pekinel will perform In the festival along with world famous conductors Leonard Slatkin, Gürer Aykal and Hakan Şensoy. The festival art director is conductor Gürer Aykal.

Stephane Blet is known for his adaptation of Franz Liszt's famous work "Faust Symphony" and has 12 Turkish-Ottoman Rhapsody compositions, while young, talented Turkish pianist Cem Esen will play his composition that he prepared for the International Antalya Piano Festival in memory of Kamuran Gündemir.

World famous pianist Emre Elivar, winner of many awards in international piano competitions, talented cellist Çağ Erçağ and guitar virtuoso Nurkan Renda are among the Turkish performers in the festival.

The festival will also host Spanish pianist and composer Ariadna Castellanos, "one of the most interesting jazz musicians of his generation," and "Spanish Diva" Luz Casal, the unforgettable voice of Pedro Almodovar's "High Heels."

World famous Turkish piano soloists Güher& Süher Pekinel will also leave a mark on the festival.

The International Antalya Piano Festival's art director, Conductor Gürer Aykal, will enable art lovers in Antalya experience a program full of surprises.

The Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra, founded with the support of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Menderes Türel as the orchestra of the International Antalya Piano Festival, and the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, one of the most important in Turkey, will accompany famous soloists at the Antalya Cultural Center and be directed by orchestra conductors Leonard Slatkin, Gürer Aykal and Hakan Şensoy.

At the festival, which continues with a concert by renowned pianist and composer Stephane Blet and the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gürer Aykal on Nov. 5, Cem Esen takes the stage on Nov. 8. While Emre Elivar will perform at the Republic Composers concert of the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 10, Adriana Castellanos will be on stage in Flamenco jazz style.

Çağ Erçağ on cello and Nurkan Renda on guitar will accompany the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Hakan Şensoy at a concert in which Anatolian tunes are performed in the style of symphonic rock on Nov. 22.

"Passionate Voice of Romanticism," Luz Casal will perform on Nov. 26, and Kepez Municipality Children and Youth Symphony Orchestra, consisting of 100 young musicians, will perform at the Antalya Cultural Center on Nov. 29.

Güher & Süher Pekinel on stage

Having received praise in Turkey and abroad, the International Antalya Film Festival, a member of European Festivals Associations (EFA), will conclude with concerts directed by conductor Leonard Slatkin on Dec. 1-2. In the final concerts, the Mediterranean Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany Güher and Süher Pekinel with their incredibly poetic musical approach and authentic styles. Having been granted many awards throughout their career, the duo will meet the people of Antalya after the recitals they have performed at the main concert halls in Europe, the Far East and the U.S.

The 18th International Antalya Piano Festival will appear with 468 musicians in total through its events.