The first guests of İş Sanat's Shining Stars series, which is held to support young musicians in their first steps to art life and provide a stage experience to them at Milli Reasürans, will be violin artist Hasan Gökçe Yorgun and contrabass artist Gizem Sözeri in the 18th season.
Having started an education in the violin as a student of Lily Tchumburidze at Mersin University State Conservatory at the age of 7, Hasan Gökçe Yorgun won "the Young Generation Soloist" selections opened by the stanbul State Symphony Orchestra and performed his first concert under the direction of conductor Nezih Seçkin. The young artist, who has performed as part of Cihat Aşkın and His Little Friends (CAKA) project, was the winner of the first Gülden Turalı National Violin Competition, whose jury included Suna Kan, Ayla Erduran and Cihat Aşkın. Yorgun won second prize at the International Young Virtuosos and Canetti International Violin Competitions.
Taking part in many respected orchestras such as the Doğuş Children's Symphony Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the young artist has participated in the Rondo Young Artist Festival in the U.S., the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain, the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy and the Keshet - Eilon Mastercourse in Israel. Attending the masterclasses of world-famous violin artists such as Alexander Markov, Shlomo Mintz and Igor Oistrakh, Yorgun continues his education at Universitat Für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna).
Contrabass player Gizem Sözeri started her education with Assoc. Prof. Burak Karaağaç at Hacettepe Universit Ankara State Conservatory in 2007. She won third prize at the 12th International Contrabass Competition in the Czech Republic in 2012 and at the 2013 Poland International Contrabass Competition. While she won second prize at the Slovakia International Contrabass Competition in 2014, she was also the winner of the Czech Republic International Simandl Double Bass Competition.
Being praised by critics after winning the first prize at the Amsterdam International Contrabass Competition in the same year, Sözeri attended masterclasses of many figures such as David Murray, Jan Krigovsky, Thomas Martin, Klaus Trumpf and Miloslav Gajdos. The artist, who has performed together with several important orchestras such as the Doğuş Children's Symphony Orchestra, the Turkey National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the Ankara Bass Quartet, continues her education at the Ankara State Conservatory.
While Yorgun will perform works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Henryk Wieniawski, Sözeri will perform from Francois Rabbath, Frank Proto and Giovanni Bottesini at the concert.