The Library of Sound
Çukurova State
Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Orchestra
Dubai, UAE
Across the course of his career, Israeli pianist Saleem Ashkar has made a name for himself as one of the most talented pianists active within the contemporary music world. Since making his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 22, the pianist, who holds the position of Artistic Director of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues, including the Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony, Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, and Royal Concertgebouw. Now, on Wednesday 15th February 2023, he will be coming to Dubai, for a concert at the spectacular Coca-Cola Arena. Joining him will be the Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey) , in their last appearance at this edition of the InClassica International Music Festival, who will be led by the acclaimed conductor Valid Agayev (Azerbaijan/Turkey).
Born in 1983, Conductor Valid Ağayev is originally from Baku, Azerbaijan. Valid Ağayev attended a Specialised Music School, and then studied violin at the Baku State Academy and earned a Bachelor of Music cum laude in 2006. In 2008 he achieved Master of Music also with honours.
From 2012 to 2017 Valid Ağayev studied conducting at the High School of Music and Dance in Cologne; first with Professor Michael Luig and later on with Professor Alexander Rumpf. At the end of 2016, he successfully passed his final conducting exam with honours.
As part of his studies, he regularly led the Philharmonie Südwestfalen Orchestra. Since 2017, Valid Ağayev was invited regularly as a guest conductor to the Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia. In April 2017, he flew to Madrid on short notice to perform with the orchestra for the first time, and then later in May to perform at the scene of Auditorio Nacional de Música. In November 2017 he shared the stage with the Ukrainian National Symphony Orchestra in Kiel, Germany.
In December 2019, Mr. Ağayev worked very successfully with the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra and then went to Astana to work with the world famous violinist Shlomo Mintz and "Academy of Soloists of Kazakhstan”. Since 2021 Mr. Ağayev works as Associate Professor in Çukurova State Conservatory in Adana, Türkiye.
In 2022 started intensive cooperation between Çukurova State Symphony Orceestra,Valid Ağayev and famous artists such as Jasmine Choi, Mark Bouchkov, Manu Brazo, Ji Young Lim and Salem Ashkar.
Saleem Ashkar made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 22 and has since gone on to establish an exciting international career. Recent and future concerto highlights include the Brussels Philharmonic, Paris Mozart Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orchestre National de Lyon, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In autumn 2021, he toured Germany with the Kammerakademie Potsdam performing Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2 and the world premiere of David Coleman‘s Piano Concerto.
Previous seasons have seen him perform with the Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony, Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw, the Detroit, St Louis, Vancouver and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestras and on a three-week tour to Australia. Saleem has a close relationship with many leading conductors including David Afkham, Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, Jakub Hrůša, Pietari Inkinen, Fabio Luisi, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Kazushi Ono and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
A dedicated recitalist and chamber musician, Saleem has a particularly strong reputation as a Beethoven specialist and has performed a complete Sonata cycle in Prague, Duisburg and at the Konzerthaus Berlin. Recent and future highlights include recitals at Oslo Opera House, Wigmore Hall in London, Queen’s Hall in Copenhagen, Milan Verdi Conservatory Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Boulezsaal Berlin and Musikverein Vienna.
Saleem is Artistic Director of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, formed of young and professional musicians to encourage collaboration between the Arab and Jewish communities in Israel. Saleem works with the orchestra both as conductor and soloist. In March 2022, they made their debut at Carnegie Hall in a programme with Joshua Bell as soloist and at Koerner Hall, Toronto. Recent engagements included a highly acclaimed European tour, which included performances at Konzerthaus Berlin and Rheingau Festival.
Saleem’s most recent recordings have been for Decca Records. They have released the Mendelssohn Piano Concertos with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Chailly and two Beethoven Concertos with the NDR Elbphilharmonie and Ivor Bolton. Saleem is also recording the complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle for Decca, the first five volumes of which are already released. The sixth and final volume will be released this season.
Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra which was established under Directorate General of Fine Arts of Culture and Tourism Ministry of Republic of Turkey is the fourth Symphony Orchestra which was established following Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), İstanbul State Symphony Orchestra (İDSO) and İzmir State Symphony Orchestra (izDSO). Our Orchestra was officially established in 1988 and firstly started its working at the end of 1991 with a very small staff consisting 17 people under the direction of Emin Güven YAŞLIÇAM who was the General Director of Music and Conductor of the orchestra. It gave its first concert in 1992, on the 5th January which was the day celebrated as the celebration day of Adana for liberation from the enemy occupation.
After that, orchestra expanded its musician staff through examinations which were conducted in the following years. Moreover, it still sustains its concerts with the assistance of the guest musicians from other Symphony Orchestras, Opera and Ballet Orchestras and State Orchestras also with the contribution of Cukurova Philharmonic Association. In addition to this kind of works, Willy Claes who is Secretary General of NATO and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium conducted the Orchestra in the first part of a special concert. With the assistance of Adana 6th Corps Command, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture was vocalized in Open Air Theater of Cukurova University accompanied by real cannon shots.
Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra has had lots of domestic and foreign tours since its foundation. Some of these destinations are Tarsus, İskenderun, Diyarbakır, Malatya, Trabzon, Mersin, Gaziantep, Antalya, Ancient Theatre of Aspendos, Ankara, istanbul, Cyprus, Syria, Germany and Japan. During Japan tour, Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto and 5th Symphony was recorded in CD.
It carefully organizes its concert schedule every season and carries out its works in order to promote polyphonic universal music to Adana public. Moreover; many music pieces are vocalized for the first time in Turkey and in the world.
Between 2000 and 2006, it organized concerts regularly to the domestic and foreign tourists in May and September in Antalya Aspendos Open Air Theater. It also still organizes such special concerts as "Memorial of Hacı Sabancı" concert for Adana audience.
Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra carries out its concerts under the light of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's idea of "CULTURE IS THE BASIS OF REPUBLIC OF TURKEY" in order to be in His running.
