Classical Concert At Atatürk Cultural Centre In Istanbul

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Istanbul was attending a classical concert in the beautiful Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM). Music is a common language that unites us all.

A Lovely Classical Concert At Ataturk Cultural Center In Istanbul

AKM opened in 1969, but was demolished in rebuilt starting in 2018, opening again in the middle of the pandemic in 2021. It’s more than just a concert hall: it’s a campus of cultural venues, restaurants, and cafés near Taksim Square.

Cool Fact: The new AKM building was designed by Murat Tabanlıoğlu, the son of Hayati Tabanlıoğlu who had designed the original AKM building

We stopped by the afternoon of the concert to buy tickets. Only about half the seats were occupied and the ticket cost only about 7.00 USD, quite a bargain. The concert would include selections from Dvorák and Mendelssohn, the latter of which is one of my favorite classical composers (both were such talented men).

As recommended, we arrived about an hour before the concert started and took the time to admire the beautiful common areas of AKM, which are centered around a dome-shaped concert hall.

The doors finally opened about 15 minutes before the concert began.

It’s a beautiful venue in the concert hall too.

The first movement was a cello concerto (n. 2 in B minor op. 104). You can listen to it below (from a different venue) if you are interested:

After the intermission, the second movement was Mendolshon’s 4th Symphony (known as “Italian”):

I noticed that the crowd seemed more secular than outside the concert venue, with the vast majority of women not wearing head coverings (some were, though, and that itself is not necessarily definitive). Turkey has a rich musical tradition and I hope that the increasingly Islamic government will continue to embrace such music (the relationship between music and Islam is quite complex…).

CONCLUSION

Next time you are in Istanbul, check what is playing at the Ataturk Cultural Center. A concert or theatre performance is a nice addition to any stay in Istanbul.