The world-renowned pianist and composer Fazıl Say was part of the 50th Istanbul Music Festival. He gave a concert at Atatürk Cultural Center Turk Telekom Opera Hall and performed for the first time his work “Portraits” dedicated to eight treasured Turkish intellectuals, including Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, Ahmet Say, Fikret Otyam, Yıldız Kenter, Yaşar Kemal, Şarık Tara, Türkan Saylan and Tarık Akan, who have deeply influenced the artist and are known for their remarkable contributions to the culture and arts in in Türkiye.
The audience was captivated by the performance and gave a standing ovation for several minutes. Say presented the handwritten score of the part dedicated to Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı to Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (İKSV) Chairperson Bülent Eczacıbaşı.
First organized under the name of Istanbul Festival in 1973, Istanbul Music Festival has been hosting world renowned performers and musicians for 50 years. Established by Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı to contribute to the culture and arts ecosystem in Türkiye, Istanbul Music Festival has become one of the world’s most prestigious cultural events and hosted this year another star parade including the world-famous composer and pianist Fazıl Say. The concert opened with Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor with Say on the piano accompanied by the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra conducted by Can Okan. Say then performed two parts from his new piece Portraits “Op. 101” for piano and flute: the part dedicated to his father Ahmet Say, followed by the part dedicated to Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, which he performed for the first time in this concert.
Fazıl Say’s new piece comprises eight Portraits dedicated to treasured intellectuals who have deeply influenced the artist and are known for their remarkable contributions to the culture and arts in Turkey. Alongside the portraits of Ahmet Say and Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı, there are portraits of Fikret Otyam, Yıldız Kenter, Yaşar Kemal, Şarık Tara, Türkan Saylan and Tarık Akan.
We had the chance to have a brief conversation with Fazıl Say, who said he set out with the idea that the best way to honor the memory of Prof. Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı would be "a beautiful composition." Say explained the process that led to creating such a work as follows: Portraits are compositions dedicated to eight individuals who mean a great deal to all of us. Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı is one of these individuals. These compositions depict these figures through music. They try to integrate the language of music with the individual characters.
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts founded by Nejat Bey is an extremely important organization. All of us have been so nourished by this festival organized by İKSV… Speaking here on behalf of all artists, I want to express our gratitude. This is İKSV’s gift to the artists, and I felt that in return we must also present a gift. I figured that the best gift from me would be an original composition. So, it is not a work commissioned by a person or an organization. It was born entirely out of my own world of emotions.
Let me also note here: He obviously made outstanding contributions to the arts but there is one more thing he should be remembered with. Nejat Bey was also the mentor of a great many pharmacists in Turkey. My mother was a pharmacist and a mentee of his. She always spoke of her admiration for Nejat Bey and how much she had learned from him.
As composers, when we want to depict a person with our music, we approach the subject from multiple perspectives. Even the person’s favorite music can be a factor in it. We know of Nejat Bey’s admiration for Western classical music. But besides that, he was also open to jazz and Turkish rhythms. So I tried to incorporate all those elements. The composition for Nejat Bey is a work that unifies rhythm and melody.