La Reina: Gülsin Onay, Turquía. Festival Internacional de Piano Dénia 2025

On November 26, in a concert entitled “La Reina”, Ars Alta Cultural is proud to present the legendary Turkish pianist, Gülsin Onay. She has many years of experience at the top of the international concert circuit, is recognised as a State Artist in Turkey and has played with many top orchestras and conductors. She is described on Wikipedia as having “long been a household name around Europe and beyond, with an international career spanning more than 80 countries, and including collaborations with many of the most esteemed artists and musical institutions of our time.” She is also famous for championing the music of Turkish composer, Ahmed Adnan Saygun and indeed she will play two of his Preludes in Denia.Alongside the Saygun, she will play a Bach Partita BWV825, the Sonata K331 of Mozart and the Chopin Sonata in B minor, op58.

Widely renowned as one of Turkey’s most acclaimed cultural exports, Gülsin Onay has been enchanting audiences around the globe for decades, starting with her first official concert when she was six years old. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and now spends her time between touring and giving concerts, leading masterclasses at various venues, and sitting on the jury boards of multiple international competitions. We are very lucky to hear her play this fourth concert in the Denia International Piano Festival.

In her own words, “it is not enough to just play, but a pianist needs to create meaning, to say something with the piece. Each note that they play has to have a meaning, it cannot just be playing mechanically, that’s not enough.” She advises every pianist to “ensure that each musical phrase should be a new creation and a creation of magic.” The audience at this fourth concert of the Festival can judge Gülsin Onay against her own personal standard, when she observes that playing the piano “is without question always such a great experience to go through, it’s such a joy for me, and I always feel so immensely thankful every day that I can still play!”

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach

Partita No. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825

Praeludium - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Menuett I - Menuett II - Gigue

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sonata in A major, KV331

-Andante grazioso con variazioni

-Menuetto

-Alla Turca

Ahmed Adnan Saygun

2 preludes in Aksak rhythm, op.45 nos.4 \& 12

Frédéric Chopin

Sonata in B minor, op.58

Allegro maestoso

Scherzo: molto vivace

Largo

Finale: presto non tanto