Back to Press Release List > 11/03/2007 - Two New Neighborhood Concerts Added to Berlin in Lights Festival

Carnegie Hall today announced that it has added two free Neighborhood Concerts to its Berlin in Lights schedule:

•   On Saturday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m. in Manhattan, the Venezuelan Brass
    Ensemble (members of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela) brings its
    high energy performance style to El Museo del Barrio.

•   On Saturday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m. in Brooklyn, the Nevzat Akpinar Ensemble,
    made up of members of Berlin’s large Turkish and Kurdish communities, performs at
    Ankara Terrace, only a day after its US debut in Zankel Hall.

The concerts are part of Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series, presented by The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. Previously announced Neighborhood Concerts—taking place from November 10–15—feature members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in free concerts in all five boroughs of New York City, geared towards a variety of audiences. For over 30 years, Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert Series has been presenting free concerts for New Yorkers of all ages.

For a complete schedule of Berlin in Lights Neighborhood Concerts, visit http://www.carnegiehall.org/berlininlights/around/ .

Berlin in Lights
Presented from November 2–18, Berlin in Lights is a 17-day celebration of the extraordinary city that is Berlin today, offering a snapshot of Germany’s vibrant capital city through orchestral, chamber, cabaret, world, and techno music concerts as well as film, architecture, literature, and photography events. With close to 50 events presented at Carnegie Hall and throughout New York City, the scope of the festival is made possible through collaborations with a broad range of cultural partners including The American Academy in Berlin, the Center for Architecture, the German Consulate General in New York, Goethe-Institut New York, the Guggenheim Museum, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Neue Galerie New York, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Thirteen/WNET New York, WNYC—New York Public Radio, and the World Music Institute.

The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, has continuously aimed to create new opportunities for musical excellence and social change through music in Venezuela for over 30 years. Heading a national system, the State Foundation for the Venezuelan System of Youth and Child Orchestras (FESNOJIV), this orchestra is comprised of more than 200 young musicians between the ages of 14 and 24, all products of a system that is of equal social, musical, and educational importance in Venezuela. The orchestra has worked with such conductors as Claudio Abbado and Sir Simon Rattle. They tour with their Music Director and colleague Gustavo Dudamel. FESNOJIV involves some 250,000 musicians from across the country in a system of pre-school orchestras (4 to 6 years), over 90 children’s orchestras (7 to 16 years), over 130 youth orchestras (16 to 20 years), and over 30 professional adult symphony orchestras.

The Nevzat Akpinar Ensemble features seven of Berlin’s finest performers on baglama, the predominant stringed instrument of Turkey. The group is under the direction of composer-musician-teacher Nevzat Akpinar, who was born in 1968 in Sivas, Central Anatolia, and moved to Berlin, Germany in 1980. He studied with the baglama virtuoso Talip Oezkan, Turkish composer Tayfun Erdem, and Henning Schmidt. As a baglama player, Mr. Akpinar toured Europe with Mikas Theodorakis and Zuelfue Livaneli and participated in Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio under the direction of George Tabori. He made two recordings with Zotos Compania, a Greek-German-Turkish band. As a composer, Mr. Akpinar has written solo pieces for baglama, works set to Turkish poetry, and chamber music. He composed Johann Dede, a work for string orchestra, oboe, baglama, and choir, which was performed by the Berlin Symphonic Orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall. Together with Haydar Kutluer, Mr. Akpinar directs Baglama Muezik, a baglama school in Berlin.


Program Information

**Members of general public should contact the performance venue for specific reservation information. Contact information listed below.

**Members of the press requiring additional information are invited to contact the Carnegie Hall Public Affairs Office at 212-903-9750 or publicaffairs@carnegiehall.org .

Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT: VENEZUELAN BRASS ENSEMBLE (MEMBERS OF THE SIMÓN BOLÍVAR YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF VENEZUELA)
El Museo del Barrio

AARON COPLAND Fanfare for the Common Man
CASTRO Gran Fanfaria
ALEJANDRO SCARPINO Canaro en París
ABREU Tico-Tico No Fubá
LEONARD BERNSTEIN Dances from West Side Story
FELIX MENDOZA Guerra de Secciones

El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street
New York, NY
212-831-7272
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Saturday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERT: NEVZAT AKPINAR ENSEMBLE
Ankara Terrace

Nevzat Akpinar Ensemble
   Nevzat Akpinar, Baglama and Vocals
   Haydar Kutluer, Baglama and Vocals
   Kemal Hür, Baglama and Vocals
   Hasan Kuzu, Baglama and Vocals
   Erdal Güncü, Baglama and Vocals
   Gökhan Sarpkaya, Baglama and Vocals
   Veli Sahin, Baglama and Vocals
   Imam Çetin, Vocals

Ankara Terrace
4212 18th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
718-943-9900
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The Berlin in Lights festival is made possible by a leadership gift from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.

Major funding has also been provided by Mercedes and Sid Bass, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from Martha and Bob Lipp, Fundación Mercantil (Venezuela), and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by Axel Springer AG, GWFF USA Inc., the Jerome Robbins Foundation, Luigi Ferraro, Mr. and Mrs. Donald T. Fox, Rolf Meijer Werner, and Jose Mejia.

Neighborhood Concerts are funded in part by the New York City Council and Department of Cultural Affairs.

Additional support is provided by The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation.

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.