Gümüşlük Music Festival – An Experience Since 2004
- Written by Portal Editor
The International Gümüşlük Music Festival was first held in 2004 in Gümüşlük, a town that reflects Bodrum's historical heritage, and has welcomed music enthusiasts during the summer months ever since.
Founded by a group of musicians led by pianists Eren Levendoğlu and Gülsin Onay, the festival began as a small piano event. In the years that followed, it developed into an international music festival. Held annually in the summer, the festival showcases renowned musicians from around the world and offers exceptional performances of classical music, jazz, and other genres.
To date, the festival Gümüşlük Music Festival has hosted 1,022 artists from 36 countries, and 478 different events have been organized. Events and concerts include classical music, jazz, ballet performances, theater, circus performances, and DJ performances. Participation in the educational programs, which provide education, performances, networking, and scholarship opportunities for over 2,000 music students, is a popular draw each year.
More than just a musical event, the festival emphasizes values such as education, community engagement, heritage preservation, and sustainability. With concerts, masterclasses, and other events organized over the years, the festival continues to make an important contribution to Bodrum's musical and cultural life, establishing itself as a recognized event both locally and internationally.
In 2024, the festival was awarded the EFFE label, the European quality mark for major arts festivals, by the European Festivals Association. The label recognizes the festival's commitment to art, community engagement, and international openness. For 20 years, the festival has brought music lovers together and continues to uphold its values of education, community engagement, heritage preservation, and sustainability.
The Gümüşlük Festival Kicks Off with Environmental Messages
The Gümüşlük Music Festival, organized by the Bodrum Classical Music Association, with Bosfor Turizm as the main sponsor and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, welcomes music lovers for the 22nd time this year. The festival, which opened with Fungistanbul, concludes with a Gülsin Onay concert on September 9.
From July 16 to September 9, the Gümüşlük Music Festival offers music lovers a wide range of music, from classical to jazz, alternative rock to funk. Under the motto "The Last Nail, the First Note," the GMF aims to raise public awareness of negative factors such as global warming and environmental pollution. In keeping with this year's motto, the GMF presented local producers to festivalgoers on the opening day. The market, with a wide selection of attractive natural and recycled products, welcomed enthusiasts throughout the day. As part of the events on Gümüşlük Beach, the festival's opening concert was also hosted by Fungistanbul, another environmental organization.
"Last Nail, First Note": The Festival Drives the Final Nail
The motto "Last Nail, First Note" symbolizes the transition from the construction season to the tourism season in Bodrum. On opening day, the final nail was ceremoniously driven onto the stage. As part of the "Last Nail, First Note" gathering, booths selling recycled or naturally made products opened. The 22nd Gümüşlük Music Festival continued with an instrument-making workshop led by Bahar Uygur and a drink cap-painting workshop led by MisGibi1Bodrum. At 8:30 p.m., festival coordinator Dilan Küçük gave a presentation, followed by the opening speech by City Council President Gamze Türk.
In her speech, Dilan Küçük thanked all sponsors, supporters, and festival friends on behalf of the organization. Küçük provided information about the stage, which was constructed this year using an upcycling approach and waste materials collected throughout Bodrum. She said, "We want to make this event a tradition in the coming years," and thanked everyone involved. "We believe that together, with small steps, we can achieve great things to make Bodrum a more livable and environmentally friendly place."
City Council President Gamze Türk then took the stage and delivered the opening speech. Türk emphasized the Gümüşlük Music Festival significance for Bodrum, saying, "We honor the festival here, but we also honor a spirit. For it is a festival organized by friends who, despite all material and moral adversities, have stubbornly refused for years to abandon their goals of being truly from Bodrum and defending Bodrum's values..." Gamze Türk continued, "The current situation in Bodrum pains us all." She continued, "We must instill in our young friends who are participating in the workshops today the awareness of stopping this at this age so that they can internalize it." Türk concluded by stating that it is enough to use Bodrum's architectural features from the past as an example to find the right structure, rather than looking too far into the distance.
Dilan Küçük, who returned to the stage, said: "We defined today's concept as 'Last Nail, First Note.'" "This means that the construction season in Bodrum is coming to an end. And as a symbol of this change, we will hammer in our recycled nail with our recycled hammer. Afterwards, our children will play the first note on their recycled instruments, and thus we will all open the festival season together." Dilan Küçük then invited the children of Mis Gibi 1 Bodrum and PEKDER to hammer in the last nail and then invited Bahar Uygur and her children to the stage to play the first note.
Gümüşlük Music Festival - The first concert is Fungistanbul.
The festival began with its first concert at sunset. Fungistanbul continued to surprise the audience in Gümüşlük with the extraordinary sounds of their instruments made from waste materials. The instrumental pieces played by the group addressed various themes related to nature and the environment. The group also performed on the festival stage in various costumes made entirely from waste materials.
This year, Fungistanbul was the first guest to perform on a stage made of waste materials – a project launched by the Gümüşlük Music Festival under the title "Unlimited Stages." In keeping with the festival's environmental policy, Fungistanbul's environmental message was also clear: It aimed to raise awareness of the problem of excessive consumption of waste materials and, through artistic language, highlight the negative impacts of fossil fuel-based materials on nature and humanity. The band members, who were enthusiastically received by the audience, said through their music: "Through art, we express the idea that humanity should live in greater harmony with nature, as in the past." Fungistanbul's concert was followed by a performance by DJ Deniz Doğançay. The music show, which lasted late into the night, kept festivalgoers dancing and having fun for hours.
The concerts begin on the Suda Stage.
The next concert of the festival will be performed by the Adem Gülşen Trio. The concert will take place on Tuesday evening, July 22nd, at the Gümüşlük Festival Center's Suda Stage. On Wednesday evening, July 23rd, the İpek Göztepe Quartet will return to the Gümüşlük Festival Centre's Suda Stage. On Friday evening, July 25th, ÜÇ will perform on the Suda Stage.
Gümüşlük Music Festival - Official Opening at the Antique Quarry
The official opening of the Gümüşlük Music Festival will take place on Sunday evening, July 27th, at the Antique Quarry.
The MAV Cellists, an association of Hungary's most popular cellists, invited to our country with the support of the Hungarian Cultural Centre Lizst Institute in Istanbul, will present Turkish violinist Özcan Ulucan to classical music lovers.
Gümüşlük Music Festival Sponsors:
Main Sponsor: Bosfor Turizm
Corporate Sponsors: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, Muğla Municipality, Bodrum Municipality, Bodrum Chamber of Commerce
Event Sponsors and Partners: French Embassy in Turkey; Institut Francais Turquie; Institut Francais Turquie Izmir; Lizst Institute, Hungarian Cultural Centre Istanbul; Memorial Bodrum Hospital
Tickets: Available online at Biletix, at Biletix ticket counters and online at Biletinial, as well as at the festival office on Gümüşlük Beach.
The "On the Stone" concerts at the Ancient Quarry begin at 9:15 PM, the "In the Water" concerts at the Gümüşlük Festival Centre at 8:30 PM, and the "In the Sand" concerts by Toprak Ev at the Gümüşlük Festival Centre at 8:30 PM.
Dear festival friends, since our festival began, we have made great progress thanks to your contributions, and you have honoured us with your donations. In previous years, we have thanked our festival friends for their contributions by categorizing their memberships and offering them benefits.
Dear Gümüşlük Music Festival Friends, since the beginning of our festival, we have made great progress thanks to your contributions, and you have honoured us with your donations. In previous years, we have thanked our Festival Friends for their contributions by categorizing their memberships and offering them benefits. This year, unlike in previous years, we have offered our Festival Friends a different membership option. To ensure the sustainability of the festival, we have compiled a list of ways you can support us. A "card" will be created in your name for the category you choose, based on your budget and preferences.
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www.gumuslukfestival.org
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22nd Gümüşlük Müzik Festivali programında yer alan sonraki concert:
22 Temmuz Adem Gülşen trio (Türkiye) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
23 Temmuz İpek Göztepe kuartet (Türkiye) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
25 Temmuz ÜÇ (Türkiye) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
27 Temmuz MAV Cellists & Özcan Ulucan (Macaristan - Türkiye) Antik Taş Ocağı
31 Temmuz Katya Apekisheva (Birleşik Krallık) Antique Taş Ocağı
04 Ağustos Jean-Phillipe Collard (Fransa) Antik Taş Ocağı
10 Ağustos Gümüşlük Festival Akademisi-Piyano Konseri 1 Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Toprak Ev
12 Ağustos “After-Life Öteki Dünya” // Tez - Armonia Bodrum Evleri Şapeli – Sergi
15 Ağustos Istvan Szekely (Macaristan) Antik Taş Ocağı
19 Ağustos Deli Bakkal (Türkiye) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
21 Ağustos Congyu Wang (Singapore) Antik Taş Ocağı
22 Ağustos Gümüşlük Festival Akademisi-Piyano Konseri 2 Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Toprak Ev
24 Ağustos “After-Life Öteki Dünya” // Mehmet Tekin - ‘Junk Poetica’ - Armonia Bodrum Evleri Şapeli – Sergi
02 Eylül Rebekka Hartmann & Atakan Sarı (Almanya-Türkiye) Antik Taş Ocağı
03 Eylül Escarteen Sisters (İspanya) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
04 Eylül Ruda Krua (Hollanda) Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Suda Huhnsi
05 Eylül “After-Life Öteki Dünya” // Eşref Yıldırım - Armonia Bodrum Evleri Şapeli – Enstalasyon
06 Eylül Gümüşlük Festival Akademisi-Keman Konseri Gümüşlük Festival Merkezi-Toprak Ev
09 Eylül Gülsin Onay (Türkiye) Kapanış Konseri - Antique Taş Ocağı
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