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Turkey’s Jewish musical legacy comes to London this weekend
Hear beautiful masterpieces composed by Istanbul’s Jewish composers from 16th-19th centuries, as well as their stories and history
A special, one-off concert at JW3 this Sunday will bring to life the classical musical legacy of Jewish composers such as Boncukçu, Avram Karakaş, Tanburi İsak, İsak Varon, Karakin Efendi, İbrahim Efendi (Mısırlı), and Haham Nesim Silviya who flourished within the Ottoman Empire from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
While often overlooked in modern histories, these masters were central architects of the Ottoman makam system, weaving Jewish liturgical sensibilities into the refined classical aesthetics of the Imperial court. Through traditional instrumentation and faithful ornamentation, this programme celebrates a vanished era where faith and art coexisted in a singular, harmonious voice.
Baha Yetkin and his quartet will be performing music by these Jewish composers from the Ottoman Empire for the first time in the UK.
When: Sunday 31 May 5.30pm
Where: JW3
Book: jw3.org
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