World-famous violinist Cihat Aşkın and the Aşkın Ensemble will start off Beylikdüzü Classical Music Days today with their concert "Waltz Steps in the Valley." Held with the main theme of "Turkish Composers" this year, the event will bring together prominent artists and classical music lovers at Yaşam Vadisi between July 16 and July 20.

The event, organized by Beylikdüzü Municipality for the fifth time, will be directed by Figen Ayhan Karakelle and will start at 9 p.m. tonight.

The Turkish waltz era, which was started by Dede Efendi with the composition of "Yine Bir Gülnihal" ("Again, a Sapling of a Rose") and the waltz journey to the present day, will meet the audience with a pleasant narration by Cihat Aşkın accompanied by soprano Görkem Ezgi Yıldırım.

Beylikdüzü Classical Music Days will host famous pianist Gülsin Onay on July 17. At the concert titled "Black and White Night in the Valley," Onay will perform Adnan Saygun's pieces, which she is a master of, as well as the favorite works of her piano repertoire.

On July 19, the Beylikdüzü Youth Symphony Orchestra, comprising of talented and young musicians of the Beylikdüzü district, will meet with the audience.

At the concert titled "From the Valley to Anatolia," the Youth Symphony Orchestra will allow the listeners to take a pleasant Anatolia tour in company of the melodies and arrangements composed by Turkish musicians.

concert by Eurasian Philharmonic Orchestra

The concert series will end with a gala concert, "From Kuva-yi Milliye (National Forces) to Liberation" on the evening of July 20. The Eurasian Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus will perform an excellent concert on the gala evening in honor of the 100th anniversary of May 19, 1919, bringing together great Turkish poet Nazım Hikmet's Kuva-yi Milliye Epic, composer Muammer Sun's Kurtuluş and Cumhuriyet soundtracks.

Conducted by Cemi'i Can Deliorman, the Eurasian Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus will be accompanied by the Eurasian Chorus orchestrated by Volkan Akkoç, soprano Görkem Ezgi Yıldırım as the soloist and Ankara State Theater players Serap Sağlar, Gaye Filiz Alacacı, Olcay Kavuzlu and Okan Şenozan as the narrators.