2nd Ceren Necipoglu Istanbul International Harp Festival will take place between 14-19 January 2025 in Istanbul/Turkey.

The Festival consists of solo harp competitions in two different age categories, chamber music competitions, concerts, masterclasses, interviews and workshops.

The solo harp competitions will take place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of January, the chamber music competitions will take place on the 18th and 19th of January.

REGISTRATION

2nd Ceren Necipoglu Istanbul International Harp Festival is open to harpists of all countries and nationalities.

Age categories are as follows:

-Young Hope (age 12 to [no older than] 17 years by 18th of January 2025)

-Young Artist (age 18 to [no older than] 24 years by 18th of January 2025)

-Chamber Music Category (age no older than 30 years by 18th of January 2025)

 The deadline for applications is 15th of December 2024. To register, please use the registration form with the below documents:

  • Completed application form
  • CV
  • Biography
  • A recommendation letter from your most recent teacher or a professional harpist (only for solo harp categories)
  • Two different photos (jpeg)
  • Copy of yourpassport
  • The scores of your competition repertoire in PDF
  • Entry fee payment confirmation (Young Hope cat. – 70 €, Young Artist cat. – 80 €, Chamber Music cat. – 90 €)

 Rules and Conditions

– All potential contestants are eligible to apply for any category in which their age does not exceed the category limit.

– For both solo harp competitions, the registered contestants are asked to perform a varied programme, and in the first round of both competitions, there will be a be a compulsory set piece. The relevant compulsory piece will be sent to each candidate upon satisfactory application. A copy of all scores used by each contestant must be attached to the application in PDF format.

– The Competition Repertory should include:

First name of composer, surname, full title of work, Opus no. and key

– All works in the Solo categories should be performed from memory.

– Playing from memory in the Chamber Music category is not necessary.

– The programme may not be changed after submission of application form.

– Performing order is free choice.

– All stages are open to the public.

– Photography (without flash and sound) is permitted.

– Each participant must register at least one hour prior to the start of his/her category and show his/her personal identity document.

– Harps and individual practice times are provided to active contestants. Contestants wishing to use the Festival Harps should make arrangements with the contest organizers beforehand. Participants may also use their personal instruments at their own liability and cost.

– The time limit in each category means total minutes of music.

– Any contestant exceeding the maximum time limitation will have a penalty imposed and be deducted 1/100 point for each minute exceeded.

– Jury members will not be able to vote for their students.

– All decisions of the Jury are final and indisputable. The jury can also decide not to confer particular awards.

– The president of the competition is responsible for resolving all misunderstandings and complaints. The decision of the president is final.

– Entry fee payment confirmation (Young Hope cat. – 70 €, Young Artist cat. – 80 €, Chamber Music cat. – 90 €) to

BANK BRANCH SWIFT CODE NAME ACCOUNT IBAN
Yapı Kredi Bankası A.Ş Maslak Plazalar YAPITRISXXX 1012 Turizmo Turizm Seyahat Org. A.Ş EURO TR36 0006 7010 0000 0022 9031 87

– Entry fee is not refundable.

– All costs associated with participation are paid by the participants. Bank expenses are borne by the applicant.

– Application deadlines are 15th of December 2024 for all categories. Applications received after these dates will not be accepted.

– Incomplete or unsigned applications will not be accepted.

– If the number of applicants considerably exceeds the number of places available, Ceren Necipoğlu Istanbul International Harp Festival Organizing Committee reserves the right to early invitation closing date and/or can refuse applications. Under these circumstances the registration fees will be reimbursed.

– The Organizing Committee reserves the right to cancel categories with insufficient number of candidates. Under these circumstances, the participant fees will be reimbursed.

– Finalists of each category are required to attend the final concert ceremony where the prizes will be distributed. The Award Ceremony and Concerts will be held on January 19, 2025.

– Competitors or parents of juvenile competitors agree to public announcement of competition results. Official registration means that a participant unconditionally accepts the rules of the competition.

– Performances will be recorded for the competition archives.

– The Organizing Committee has the right to use a participant’s image and sound, radio and television recordings, the images taken during the competition, and the images taken at the place chosen by the Organizing Committee at no additional charge to the competitor.

– By accepting their participation in the Competition, the Participant is deemed to have accepted all Competition arrangements and rules.

For further inquiries, please contact us: info@cnharpfestival.com

AWARDS

Young Hope Category:

1st Prize – 800 €

2nd Prize – 600 €

3rd Prize – 500 €

SPECIAL AWARD – Young Hope Category

“Borusan Sanat Special Award” – Solo Concert to be performed at Borusan Music House.

 

Young Artist Category:

1st Prize – 1000 € ” Ugur Nalbantoglu Special Prize”

2nd Prize – 800 €

3rd Prize – 600 €

SPECIAL AWARDS – Young Artist Category

  • In addition to the monetary prize, the 1st prize-winner will be invited to give a solo recital in a concert hall in the heart of the City of London, on 30th June or 1st July 2025, as part of the ‘Guildhall Summer Harp Festival 2025’ organised by Imogen Barford. Travel expenses and a harp will be provided.

Sioned Williams invites the 1st prize-winner for a performance / masterclass / workshop (of the winner’s choice) at the ‘Sioned Williams Harp Studio’, North London. There will be an invited audience of musicians and harpists. This will take place a day prior or a day following the recital at Guildhall. A harp will be provided.

Accommodation for both the London events will be provided by Sioned Williams.

  • “Salvi and Myna Music Special Prize” will be awarded to a contestant selected by the jury.
  • “Borusan Sanat Special Award” – Solo Concert to be performed at Borusan Music House.

 

Chamber Music Category:

1st   Prize – 2000 € “Ceren Necipoglu Special Prize”

2nd Prize – 1000 €

SPECIAL AWARD – Chamber Music Category

“Borusan Sanat Special Award” – Concert to be performed at Borusan Music House.

 

FIRST PRIZE WINNERS OF THE 2025 COMPETITIONS WILL BE INVITED TO PERFORM IN THE NEXT CEREN NECIPOGLU ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL HARP FESTIVAL.

REPERTOIRE

REPERTOIRE FOR ALL COMPETITIONS

The SOLO HARP competition has two age categories.

YOUNG HOPE: Age 12-17

YOUNG ARTIST: Age: 18-24

There are TWO ROUNDS IN BOTH CATEGORIES and maximum 16 participants in each

YOUNG HOPE – TWO ROUNDS

FIRST ROUND

20 MINS PER PERFORMER TO INCLUDE:

COMPULSORY PIECE – Garrett Byrnes  ‘Amhran Slan’ *dedicated to Ceren Necipoglu.

Free choice up to 14 minutes maximum.

THE SET PIECE WILL BE SENT TO YOU UPON SATISFACTORY APPLICATION

Click for the notes of Garrett Byrnes – Amhran Slan…

SECOND ROUND

15 MINS PER PERFORMER

Entire programme free choıce. Please do not repeat any work from the first round

YOUNG ARTIST – TWO ROUNDS

FIRST ROUND

20 MINS PER PERFORMER TO INCLUDE:

COMPULSORY PIECE – Berkant Gençkal ‘The Stairs of M.C. Escher’ *composed especially for the competition

– Free choice up to 14 minutes maximum.

THE SET PIECE WILL BE SENT TO YOU UPON SATISFACTORY APPLICATION

Click for the notes of Berkant Genkal – The Stairs of MC Escher MUSIC PERUSAL …

SECOND ROUND

20 MINS PER PERFORMER.

Entirely free choice. Please do not repeat any work from the first round.

 

THE CATEGORY OF CHAMBER MUSİC

One category for all classical music instruments in any combination from 2 to 4 players, (eg. string trio, piano duo, saxophone trio, ensemble with or without harp, etc.) average age of the group no older than 30 years on 18th January 2025.

Candidates will select a free-choice programme of no more than 30 minutes, consisting either of two to three contrasting pieces of classical music, or one larger form work (sonata, string quartet, etc). No crossover repertoire, no pop music. The jury will consist of eminent musicians from Turkey and abroad.

The preliminary round will be by video: please create an unlisted YouTube link of a video recording no longer than 10 minutes. In the description section, include the names of the candidates, the title(s) of the piece(s) performed, and age of candidates.

Send the link to info@cnharpfestival.com by 15th of December 2024. Successful candidates will be notified by 16th of December 2024. Chamber Music Competition will be held on 18th and 19th January 2025.

JURY

JURY FOR SOLO HARP COMPETITIONS

YOUNG HOPE and YOUNG ARTIST

The jury for both harp competitions will be:

Jury President:Sioned Williams (Wales, UK), International concert soloist, recording artist, commissioner of new works; educator; Former Principal Harp BBC Symphony Orchestra; Emeritus Senior Fellow in Harp Studies, Trinity Laban; Honorary Research Fellow Royal Academy of Music, London.

 

* in alphabetical order

Anne-Sophie Bertrand (France), Principal Harp with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. International recording artist and chamber musician. Associate and visiting professor of harp at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Professor of harp at the Akademie für Tonkunst, Darmstadt.

Çağatay Akyol (Turkey), Professor and solo harp of the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra; Founding member of Arpanatolia; Specialist in Cultural Turkish Harp Projects; Guest Artist with Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

Imogen Barford (England, UK), Head of Harp at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London; distinguished soloist, orchestral player and chamber musician on pedal and early harps; commissioner of new music; Co-Director of Ibacus International Harp Course; specialist in body mechanics of harp playing

Mara Galassi (Italy), Performer on historical harps; soloist, chamber musician, basso continuo player, recording artist. Historical harps teacher at Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Milano, and ESMUC, Barcelona. Former Principal Harp Teatro Massimo, Palermo

 

JURY FOR CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION

Jury President: Florence Sitruk (Germany), International Concert Artist, Professor of Harp at Kalaidos University Zurich

Anastasia Razvalyaeva (Hungary), Harpist, Senior Lecturer at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music; Artistic Director of Szeged Harp Competition

Gozde Ece Yavas Ozturk (Turkey), Harpist, Lecturer at Dokuz Eylul University State Conservatory Harp Department, Ceren Necipoğlu Istanbul International Harp Festival President of Youth Committee

Onur Ozkaya (Turkey), Double Bass Artist, Assıstant Professor at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory Double Bass Department

Robertas Servenikas (Lithuania), Conductor, Second Conductor of the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO)

PROGRAMME

14.01.2025
15.01.2025
16.01.2025
17.01.2025
18.01.2025
19.01.2025
09.00-12.30 
Young Hope Harp Competition 

1st Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

09.00-12.30 
Young Artist Harp Competition 

1st Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

09.00-11.30 
Young Hope Harp Competition 

2nd Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

10.30-12.30 
Chamber Music Competition 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall 


09.00-12.00

Florence Sitruk 

Masterclass 

Place: ACC Music Platform Hall  

09.00-12.00
 Anastasia Razvalyaeva 

Masterclass 

Place: ACC Music Platform

09.00-12.00 
Sioned Williams 

Interactive Orchestral Masterclass* 

Place: ACC Music Platform

09.00-12.00 
Sioned Williams 

Masterclass

Place: ACC Music Platform

12.45-13.30 
Bikem de Montebello Lecture 

'Conservatoire students and the non institutional outside world' 

Place: ACC Music Platform

12.45-13.30
Andrea Ventura Arduino 

Harp Care and Regulation Workshop 

Place: ACC Music Platform

12.15-13.00 
Alara Tütüncü 

Electronic and Electroacoustic Harp Workshop

Place: ACC Music Platform

12.45-13.45 
Mara Galassi Lecture 

'The Perfection of the harp: a short history of the harp in images and sounds' 

Place: ACC Music Platform

12.45-14.15 
Imogen Barford 

Alexander Technique Workshop** 

Place: ACC Music Platform

14.00- 15.15 
Mara Galassi 

Masterclass 'Historical interpretation: a musical approach'  

Place: ACC Music Platform

13.30-17.00 
Young Hope Harp Competition 

1st Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

13.30-15.00 
Young Artist Harp Competition 

1st Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

13.00-16.00 
Young Artist Harp Competition 

2nd Round 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

13.30-17.30 
Chamber Music Competition 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall 

14.00-16.00 
Chamber Music Competition 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall 

14.00-17.00 
Florence Sitruk 

Masterclass 

Place: ACC Music Platform Hall  

15.00-16.00 
Şirin Pancaroğlu 

Turkish Harp Workshop A (up to 17 yrs)

Place: ACC Music Platform

15.30-18.30 
Imogen Barford 

Masterclass 

Place: ACC Music Platform

14.30-16.00 
Anne-Sophie Bertrand 

French repertoire Workshop 

Place: ACC Music Platform

16.15-17.15 
Şirin Pancaroğlu 

Turkish Harp Workshop B (18 yrs and over) 

Place: ACC Music Platform

16.15-18.00 
Anastasia Razvalyaeva 

Chamber Music Masterclass 

Place: ACC Music Platform


18.30
Sioned Williams 
Concert

Place:British Consulate General

19.00 
Ece Yavaş and Florence Sitruk 

Concert 

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

19.00 
Special Event 

hosted by Sacred/Travel and Mois Gabay (for jury and competitors only)

19.00 
Youth Concert 

Winners of the 1st Ceren Necipoglu Istanbul International Harp Festival

Place: ACC Multipurpose Hall

20.00 
Ceren Necipoğlu Birthday Concert 

by Şirin Pancaroğlu and Anne-Sophie Bertrand 

Place: Pera Museum

20.00 
Arpanatolia Concert and Award Ceremony 

Place: ACC Theatre Hall

 

The festival committee reserves the right to make changes to the program.

*The cadenzas and excerpts to be studied in this masterclass will be sent to participants via email.

**A good command of English is required for this workshop.

ACCOMMODATION

The Opera Hotel Bosphorus

Inonu Cad. No:26 Gumussuyu, Taksim, Istanbul

To benefit from the special rates for The 2nd Ceren Necipoglu Istanbul International Harp Festival, please send your request to reservation@operahotel.com.tr with the code CNHF.

Solo Harp Category Application Form
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Age Categories
The programme will be performed on:

Programme

Please attach the following documents in PDF format using the "File Upload" section.

  • CV
  • Recent biography
  • Recommendation from a teacher or professional harpist
  • Two different photos (jpeg)
  • Passport
  • PDF of the pieces to be performed in the competition
  • Entry fee payment confirmation (Young Hope cat. – 70 €, Young Artist cat. – 80 €)
Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 8 files.
I have read and I agree all the rules and conditions as disclosed on the website www.en.cnharpfestival.com.
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Application Form for Chamber Music Category
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About Musicians

To add the details of an additional musician, use the "Add New Musician" option below.
Enter the contact address of the applicant.
Enter the applicant's information

Piano will be provided by our festival.

The program will be performed on:

Please attach the following documents in PDF format using the "File Upload" section.

  • Creative biography
  • Two different photos of group (jpeg)
  • Passport copies of all group members
  • The scores of your competition repertoire in pdf
  • Entry fee payment confirmation (Chamber Music – 90 € per group)
Click or drag files to this area to upload. You can upload up to 20 files.
I confirm that I’ve read and agreed with all the rules and conditions as disclosed on the website www.en.cnharpfestival.com.
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Application Form for Workshop and Masterclass
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Deadline for application is 1st of December 2024

Please select the workshops you would like to attend. If you make more than one selection, please pay the total amount.

Please attach the following documents in PDF format using the "File Upload" section.

  • Passport copy
  • Participation fee payment confirmation
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
I have read and I agree all the rules and conditions as disclosed on the website www.en.cnharpfestival.com.
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