Orchestra
- Piano soloist: Hakan Ali Toker
- Guest vocalist: Bora Uymaz
- 33-piece orchestra including:
- 3 clarinetists
- 2 trumpeters
- 2 trombonists
- 3 percussionists (incl. timpani)
- Full symphonic strings
Turkish
Rhapsody
Hakan Ali Toker
A milestone in music history...
Ever since Eastern and Western musical cultures began to mingle, countless forms of fusion have emerged. Most nations of the East have Western-trained symphony orchestras, and composers who weave their national heritage into classical forms.
On 17 May 2022, Turkish Rhapsody gathered 34 musicians at the CRR Concert Hall in Istanbul. Each performer is trained in both Western classical and Turkish traditional music, creating an orchestra capable of executing advanced polyphonic writing with the Turkish microtonal system at every layer.
The piece merges Turkish modes and rhythms with the harmonic richness of the West. It tells a vivid musical story of Anatolia, voiced by an orchestra that ornaments, improvises and grooves while remaining grounded in symphonic structure.
Turkish Rhapsody is available as a full-length concert programme for international festivals, symphonic seasons and special events seeking a bold East-meets-West statement.
One unforgettable moment was seeing Toker amid the grand pianos arranged like petals; sometimes walking, sometimes sliding from one stool to another, weaving every imaginable motif into a few measures and chaining tonal contrasts. A friend who attended with me said, ‘It was enchanting! I fell in love with Turkey all over again.’
You know that some tones in Turkish makam music cannot be reproduced in equal temperament. For years musicians have debated how to harmonise Turkish music. This work is one of the strongest answers to that debate, a valuable contribution that offers a fresh perspective on the art of harmony.
The programme lasts about two hours including intermission. Turkish Rhapsody forms the first half, followed by beloved Turkish art songs arranged by Hakan Ali Toker. He conducts, performs on the pianos, and appears in different sections of the orchestra throughout the concert.
The ensemble of 33 highly specialised musicians can navigate both Western classical expression and traditional Turkish ornamentation, making Turkish Rhapsody a landmark in blending these worlds.
► Watch highlights from the premiereEnsemble, Setup & Collaboration
Required Equipment
- 4 acoustic grand pianos
- 2 piano benches
- 3 double basses
- 4 timpani
- Triangle with stand
- Pair of cymbals with stand
- Gong
- 3 toms
- Soft carpet for Turkish percussion
- 30 music stands
- 4 high stools
- Appropriate sound reinforcement and stage monitors
Optional collaboration
One piece in the second half may feature a countertenor or soprano with Turkish instruments such as oud, kanun, classical kemençe, tambur and ney. Local guest artists can be invited to join for this segment.
Budget
Fees
Please enquire for the full concert fee.
+€500 if we travel with our own piano tuner from Istanbul.
Travel & Lodging
- 32 round-trip flights from Istanbul
- 1 round-trip flight from Ankara
- 2 round-trip flights from Izmir
- 1 round-trip flight each from Bursa, Eskişehir and Cyprus
- Three nights’ accommodation for 38 people
- Two rehearsal days plus concert day
Tuning
Hakan Ali Toker travels with his piano tuner. Three of the four pianos are retuned microtonally according to a provided chart, adjusting select notes less than a semitone above or below the tempered pitch.