By Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu
The Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry State Polyphonic Choir has been hosting conductors, conductor candidates, and music teachers from Europe for theoretical and practical training in the eighth edition of the international Walter Strauss Masterclass.
The training will be held at the CSO Historical Hall in the capital Ankara this year, with the participation of Swedish conductor Gary Graden.
The masterclass has been dedicated to the late conductor Walter Strauss of the State Polyphonic Choir.
In an interview with Anadolu, Choir Director Burak Onur Erdem underlined that the training has gained global recognition.
"The Walter Strauss Masterclass has become one of the four mastery classes recommended by the European Choir Federation," Erdem said.
He said that they received many applications from Europe, emphasizing the importance of conductors working with a professional choir.
"For a week, conductor candidates, music teachers, and conductors come here to improve themselves. This year, four conductors from abroad and two from Türkiye are working with the State Polyphonic Choir as participants. Our participants are working on Mozart Requiem," Erden added.
Underlining that they provide international certification to conductors after the training, Erdem said: "The European Choir Federation highlights the choir conducting training in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Türkiye, recommending it to conductors and aspiring conductors. Ankara has become one of the cities to visit for learning conducting."
He stated that they meticulously select the participants with an artistic committee, and this year, they invited participant conductors from Germany, Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine.
Erdem added that they try to invite well-known, veteran conductors to provide training, and this year they invited Swedish conductor Graden, who is famous in his field, as a guest instructor.
Graden, who came to Türkiye to provide training at the masterclass, said that he visited Istanbul seven years ago but had the opportunity to work with the State Polyphonic Choir for the first time.
Expressing his honor to work with this choir, Graden said: "It is crucial for the State Polyphonic Choir to provide conducting training. They are doing a valuable work.”
“They already lead the choirs in Türkiye. They have been successfully conducting the choir conducting masterclass for eight years. We work for better music. Participating in such masterclasses is valuable for conductors," he added.
Founded in 1988, the State Polyphonic Choir has collaborated with notable conductors such as Walter Strauss, Ahter Destan, Ibrahim Yazici, and Cemi'i Can Deliorman, and has performed concerts with many esteemed orchestral conductors.
Since 2017, the choir has continued its work under the direction of Erdem.
The State Polyphonic Choir, which held its first concert in 1989 under the direction of Ahmed Adnan Saygun, has given over a thousand concerts in many cities across Türkiye and has received acclaim in various countries abroad, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria, and South Korea.
Among its notable performances are the world premiere of Harbison's work dedicated to Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, Mahler's 2nd Symphony in Berlin, Britten's War Requiem, and Verdi's Requiem.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz