The Four Italian Tenors

"The Four Italian Tenors" and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, one of the world's most established cultural institutions, will meet music lovers on 3 January at Zorlu PSM Turkcell Stage under the baton of Presidential Symphony Orchestra General Music Director Prof. Rengim Gökmen. The Four Italian Tenors "The Four Italian Tenors" was established with the idea of elevating the tenor voice, one of the world's most acclaimed vocal ranges, and premiered in 2019 after an extensive selection process. As of September, "The Four Italian Tenors" has performed their "Viva Italia" production across America with a long tour featuring 56 concert dates. Touching major American cities including New York, San Antonio, Kansas, Los Angeles and many others, they achieved great international success, performed numerous sold-out concerts and were showered with applause by the American public. Next year "The Four Italian Tenors" will continue to perform in Europe, Asia and South America.

Presidential Symphony Orchestra

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra, one of the world's most established cultural institutions, is among the rare cultural institutions that have maintained continuity without any interruption in its nearly 200-year history. Until the establishment of the Republic, the orchestra was called "Musika-i Hümayun" and its activities at that stage were exclusive to the palace. Giuseppe Donizetti, invited from the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Palace to Istanbul, was appointed conductor of the orchestra, and polyphonic music culture was quickly adopted and institutionalized. The orchestra was moved to Ankara on 27 April 1924 by order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and, with a completely new understanding, acquired the character of a pioneering cultural institution operating with the aim of raising the cultural and artistic level of the people. The orchestra, which Atatürk honored by giving it the name of his esteemed office (Presidential Philharmonic Orchestra), simultaneously became the first musical institution in the history of the Republic. In light of the art and music principles envisioned by the great Atatürk, the aim was to develop polyphonic music culture and ensure its representation at the highest international level.

Rengim Gökmen

Rengim Gökmen began his musical education at an early age under the supervision of his mother, opera artist Muazzez Gökmen, and completed his piano and composition studies at Ankara State Conservatory with Ferhunde Erkin, Nimet Karatekin, İlhan Baran and Ahmet Adnan Saygun, after which he was sent to Italy by the Turkish Government to study orchestral conducting. After completing his education abroad and pursuing special studies, he served as General Music Director of Ankara State Opera and Ballet from 1984-89, and as General Director of State Opera and Ballet from 1992-95 and 2007-2014. During this tenure he established the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival and the Istanbul International Opera Festival. Rengim Gökmen was selected as State Artist in 1998 and was honored with the Presidential Medal for High Culture and Arts in 1999. Currently General Music Director of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Rengim Gökmen is also the founder and permanent conductor of the Doğuş Children's Symphony Orchestra.