Rengim Gökmen

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra has given a concert at the 2,200-year-old historic theater in the Aegean province of Denizli's ancient city of Laodicea.

More than 15,000 people attended the concert at the ancient theater on June 23, hosted by the provincial governor's office and the municipality.

The second concert of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra (IDSO) Denizbank Concert will take place tonight at Atatürk Cultural Center. South Korean violinist Soyoung Yoon will perform works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, as well as the violin concerto of Jean Sibelius, the founder of Finnish symphonic music at the concert, to be conducted by Rengim Gökmen.

Veteran musician and conductor Professor Rengim Gökmen says that music is an art that soothes harsh and violent feelings of human beings and penetrates into their souls. 

Awarded every year since 2012 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) to promising young Turkish classical musicians, the Aydın Gün Encouragement Award has been granted to 21-year-old marimbist Elman Mecid on its fifth year.

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), one of the standard bearers of Turkish music, will celebrate its 190th anniversary with a special concert.

The annual Ayd?n Gün Encouragement Award has been presented every year since 2012 by the Istanbul Foundation of Culture and Arts (?KSV) to promising young musicians in the field of classical music to help support their development. This year the award was given to 24-year-old violin virtuoso Emre Engin.

The Turkish Armenian conductor of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Theater choir, Kevork Tavityan, has been named the new director general of the theater.

Tavityan was appointed to the position when the former director, ?amil Gökberk, retired after reaching the age limit.

An investigation has been opened into the former head of administrative and financial affairs at the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet (DOB), after allegations that he was illegally monitoring personnel through a surveillance camera system installed on his computer.