Piano night with Fahir Atakoğlu

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Istanbul-born, world-renowned pianist and composer Fahir Atakoğlu is going to perform in front of his home audience in Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu open-air theatre tomorrow night. His latest album “Istanbul in Blue” has recently reached no. 1 in World Music Albums Chart, published by U.S. magazine Jazz Week.

Istanbul - Turkish Daily News

Fahir Atakoğlu is an international award-winning composer and pianist working mainly in the fields of large symphonic compositions and film music. His great music sensitivity touches the listener with its unique rhythm, melody and harmony. His compositions reflect an extraordinary talent in blending different musical cultures, something that makes his compositions original while at the same time always relating them to his Turkish heritage.

Atakoğlu showed his interest in music as early as the age of 7. Besides piano, drums was one of his first instruments. His mother fostered his interest in music, and through his music teacher, Muzaffer Uz, Atakoğlu, he was introduced to Cemal Reşit Rey, Turkey's famous composer, pianist, scriptwriter and conductor. Atakoğlu studied under Rey between 1977 and 1979, before attending Istanbul State Conservatory from 1978 to 1980. In 1980 he moved to Great Britain to study at the London School of Music.

Since 1986 Fahir Atakoğlu has been composing soundtracks for documentaries and feature films produced both in Turkey and abroad. He contributed to four of the albums of one of the most famous Turkish singers, Sezen Aksu: "Alaturka,� "Yaktilar Halimimi," "Istanbul" and "Farkindayim." Known for his numerous collaborations with the top voices of the Turkish musical scene, Atakoğlu invited many Turkish celebrities to his Istanbul concert, including Levent Yüksel, Nilüfer and Sertab Erener, once again surprising his listeners. His professional output consists of commercial tunes as well, including all the music on the CNN-Türk television station. Since the release of his first album in 1994, he has worked in 17 countries. His 14 albums have sold 2 million copies.

Atakoğlu has received a number of Turkish and international awards, including first place for his documentary �Exile in Buyukada� at the Milano film Festival in 2000 and best song award (telos dios telos) from Mega Channel Greece in 2002. He also received two important lifetime achievement awards in 2006, the prestigious title of the Daughters of Atatürk's man of outstanding accomplishment award, as well as the outstanding achievement in arts award from the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. The agency promoting Atakoğlu worldwide, New World Media, recently reported a total of 79 American radio stations playing Fahir Atakoğlu's new album all across the United States.

Wed., Aug. 6, 9 p.m.

Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater

Tickets: YTL 50-110

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