Ahmet Özhan & Ensemble
Press Information
Wednesday 8 April 2009
Ahmet Özhan is one of the world’s most prominent artists specializing in classical Turkish music and Sufi music. His performance in Hafenhalle09 will be accompanied by the Dancing Dervishes. Ahmet Özhan received training as a vocalist at the Istanbul Conservatory and the Uskudar Society, and went on to become one of the country’s best known and most popular artists performing classical Turkish music. He has worked together with many great masters, and has also produced his own albums. Since the 1980s, Özhan has been considered one of Turkey’s leading Sufi music pioneers. He has been honored with numerous awards in the field of Turkish classical music, and his international concert tours have contributed mightily to popularizing this music with audiences throughout the world. Özhan is the founder and artistic director of the Historical Music Ensemble of Istanbul.
To the accompaniment of Sufi music, the Dancing Dervishes perform a dance ritual that celebrates mystical unification with God. This ritual has been placed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The dancers clothed in flowing white garments form circles while rapidly whirling about.
Ahmet Özhan will already be available for interviews on the afternoon of Friday, April 10, 2009. To arrange an interview or to reserve a press pass to the concert, please contact me by sending an e-mail to carina.kurta@linz09.at or by calling +43 (0) 732 2009 78.
WHAT // AHMET ÖZHAN & ENSEMBLE
WHEN // Saturday, April 11, 2009, 8 PM
WHERE // Hafenhalle09, Industriezeile 41a, 4020 Linz
