Istanbul to host first international harp festival

Turkey's megacity Istanbul will play host to an international harp festival for the first time in January, in the memory of a Turkish harpist who died in a plane crash, organizers said Thursday.

The Ceren Necipoğlu Istanbul International Harp Festival will be held Jan. 15 - 19, the bkz.Iletisim said in a statement.

It will feature solo harp and chamber music competitions, in addition to concerts and master classes.

The festival wants to further "learning through sharing" the philosophies of the artists, and pass it to future generations, according to the statement.

The concerts will be held under the leadership of A. Imre Tüylü, Necipoğlu's sister, under the motto "May the love of art and music flourish with the youth!"

Florence Sitruk, who teaches at Indiana University in the U.S., will be the artistic director of the festival which will accept applications until Dec. 15. for solo harp competitions. The deadline for chamber music competitions is Dec. 1.

Necipoğlu was head of the harp department at the Anadolu University State Conservatory.

She died June 1, 2009, returning from a concert in Rio de Janeiro, when her airplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.