Two Big Talents at the Ancient Stone Quarry
Poyraz Baltacıgil, who gave his first concert at the age of five and has participated as a soloist in numerous international and local festivals, will share the stage with pianist and composer Cem Esen at the Ancient Stone Quarry. Esen, who began piano studies at the age of six, has composed and published over 100 works under 41 opus numbers. The concert program will include Esen’s Cello Sonata, Op. 23, alongside pieces by composers such as Schumann and Azarashvili.
Cellist Poyraz Baltacıgil has won awards in many national and international competitions. He has performed as a soloist at major concert halls in Turkey and around the world. Baltacıgil recorded his first album “Voyages” with Cem Esen, featuring Rachmaninov’s “Cello and Piano Sonata” and Esen’s “Cello and Piano Sonata”. In addition to his solo concerts, Baltacıgil continues to work on new album projects and serves as assistant principal cellist in the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra.
Pianist and composer Cem Esen began his piano studies at the age of six and has composed and published over 100 works under 41 Opus numbers. He was invited to perform two piano concerts with Gülsin Onay organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts in 2012 and participated in the 13th Antalya Piano Festival the same year. In 2018, he was invited to the 19th Antalya Piano Festival, where he premiered his first piano sonata at the request of Gürer Aykal. Esen has won 11 awards in national and international piano competitions between 2010 and 2015, and has released 7 albums and 3 singles from 2019 to 2022. Under the Cosmos Project, Esen started releasing the Cosmos Album as a single with a different artist each month starting in November 2023. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in piano education at the Hochschule für Musik, Theatre und Medien – Hannover, studying with Roland Krüger.
CONCERT PROGRAM:
F. Schumann:
Adagio & Allegro Op.70
Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
V. Azarashvili:
Nostaljie
C. Esen:
Cello Sonata, Op. 23