Born and raised in Ankara, pianist and composer Fazıl Say is one of the most distinctive artists to emerge from Turkey in the last twenty years. His works blend folk traditions from his homeland with elements of Western classical music. Say’s musical vocabulary, like the geography of his native country, is situated between Europe and Asia. Le Figaro raves, “Say is not merely a pianist of genius; undoubtedly he will be one of the greatest artists of the twenty-first century.”

The program is half Mozart and half Say’s original work. Say begins with two Mozart sonatas, K. 331 and 332, written in Vienna. The final movement of K. 331, uncoincidentally known as “Alla Turca,” features a march evoking an Ottoman Janissary band. After intermission, Say treats the audience to three pieces of his own, including a set of Jazz Fantasies based on Mozart’s march.

Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332
Fazıl Say: Gezi Park 2, Sonata for Piano
Fazıl Say: Ballads
Fazıl Say: Jazz Fantasies