METU International Classical Guitar Festival begins tomorrow

The 18th METU International Classical Guitar Festival, one of the longest-running classical guitar festivals in Ankara, is meeting with guitar lovers. The festival will be held at METU between May 10-13, 2025. The festival meets with the festival audience with the valuable contributions of the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation, the Dutch Embassy and Radio METU, which have played an important role in the spread of classical guitar music in Turkey and have carried out pioneering work in the field of classical guitar in our country, both with the international biennials and competitions it has organized, as well as training and sheet music publications.

The festival will feature concerts by many master guitarists, master classes where master guitarists can meet with young guitarists and share their experiences, workshops and events with different concepts. Irina Kulikova and Dimitri Illoronov, who have won numerous awards and international fame in the field of classical guitar, will be giving concerts at the festival. Also among the master guitarists from our country, Onur Yılmaz and Cem Çeliksırt will be giving concerts.

In the last concert of the festival, the METU Classical Guitar Ensemble will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the "50th Anniversary Concert and Documentary Screening" event. The concert will include a documentary screening about the ensemble, a guitar orchestra performance prepared by the ensemble members, and guitar performances by former graduates. The educational aspect of the festival is at least as satisfying as the concerts. Names such as Irina Kulikova, Dimitri Illarionov and Kağan Korad, Emre Ünlenen, Mehmet Erkan Karagülle will give master classes and workshops as part of the festival.