Cellist Anastasia Kobekina and Amsterdam Sinfonietta share stage in Istanbul

By Salih Seref

ISTANBUL (AA) - Amsterdam Sinfonietta, which is an ensemble of 22 musicians, took the stage with Russian Cellist Anastasia Kobekina at The 50th Istanbul Music Festival in Türkiye.

Türkiye premiere of one of Thomas Ades's most recent works, Shanty – Over the Sea, was given at Istanbul's Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall.

Also, the assembly and Kobekina interpreted Joseph Haydn's Cello Concerto in C Major, Hob VIIb, no.1, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Nocturnes, and Pezzo Capriccioso op.62 for cello and strings, and William Walton's Sonata for strings.

Russian cellist, who won third prize at the 16th International Tchaikovsky Competition held every four years in Russia in 2019, shared her thoughts with Anadolu Agency on giving a gig in Türkiye, sharing the stage with Amsterdam Sinfonietta for the first time, and her story to become a musician.

"It's such inspiration. We have met for the first time. You feel that you speak the same language and that you feel that somehow you knew each other, and it's a great feeling," Kobekina said.

Having performed in Türkiye before, the cellist performed her first concert in the country at a festival in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in December 2019, where acclaimed Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say also took part.

- Interaction with Turkish audience

Speaking about her interaction with the Turkish audience, Kobekina said: "I found that the audience is really so attentive. You always feel how the audience is listening and the way they are listening. Are they just quiet, or are they attentively listening and participating? And I enjoyed this connection with the audience very much."

Born into a musical family and interested in music from the very beginning, she said: "I first began to play the piano when I was three years old. My mom was teaching me. They thought maybe a third pianist at home would be a little bit too much for just one piano."

"When I was very little, they brought me to my first concert. My first ever concert with an audience was the Symphony Orchestra in the city where I was born. I rushed to the stage and sat down next to the cello group. I was very happy, so my parents thought that my mind was made up."

- Role models from music world: Fazil Say, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Janine Jansen

"I get inspired from people and their achievements and it doesn't have to be delicious, but in every area, the strong personalities, it can be very inspiring and we all have our ups and downs. When I feel down, I try to look up role models that I met our see on YouTube, who are truly inspiring."

She went on to say that her role models are Fazil Say, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Janine Jansen.

Touching upon the Turkish classical music, she said: "I followed up with a few friends from Türkiye, for example, Cemal Aliyev. I also play the music of Turkish composer Kaan Bulak. And I just played a few days ago with an orchestra that is based in Germany."

Also, for her future projects, she said: "I am having a very intense summer, travelling a lot and playing in the festivals in France, Germany, Finland. There are also some exciting recording projects that are coming up."

Throughout her career, the acclaimed cellist has given concerts with world-famous orchestras such as Konzerthausorchester Berlin, The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, The Vienna Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, The Moscow Virtuosi, Kammerorchester Basel, and conductors such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Heinrich Schiff, and Vladimir Spivakov.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts with the contributions of the country's Culture and Tourism Ministry., the festival will host over 65 soloists, ensembles and orchestras from Turkey and abroad in 16 different venues with the theme of "Istanbul" until June 24.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts with the contributions of the country's Culture and Tourism Ministry, the festival will host over 65 soloists, ensembles and orchestras from Türkiye and abroad in 16 different venues with the theme of Istanbul until June 24.