Bîrûn. Ottoman Music Seminars

Director Kudsi Erguner, assistant Giovanni De Zorzi

 

Compositions in Persian language at the Ottoman Court

7-12 April 2014 Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice

 Call for scholarship applications: deadline 15 January 2014

From 7 to 12 April 2014 the Intercultural Institute for Comparative Music Studies, part of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice,  will organize the third edition of Bîrûn, seminars on classical Ottoman music, directed by Kudsi Erguner,  addressed to professional and semi-professional musicians.

Ottoman classical music is based on the maqâm modal system and has been enhanced by contributions from Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Greek, Jewish and Armenian composers who lived and worked in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. From this point of view, the theme of Bîrûn in 2014 will involve studying Persian language works composed by Persian and Ottoman poets and by different Sultans of the Ottoman Court. Persian was indeed the literary language of the area and it was largely used by composers of the classical music tradition.

The Fondazione Giorgio Cini is offering six scholarships to attend the seminar, for singers and musicians in order to form an ensemble. Preference will be given to traditional instruments such as the ney (flute), ‘ûd (short-necked lute), tanbûr (long-necked lute), kanûn (zither), kemençe o yaili tanbûr (fiddle) and percussion – def or bendir (frame drum) zarb (goblet drum) and kudûm (kettledrum).

Participants are required to know European classical notation. The seminar will end with a concert to be given by the scholarship recipients conducted by Kudsi Erguner. The recording of the concert may be published on CD by Nota Edizioni.

 

Scholarships

The Fondazione Giorgio Cini is offering six scholarships to attend the seminar.

The scholarship will cover: registration fees, accommodation (in the Vittore Branca Center Residence), lunches (no dinners) and travelling expenses (up to 400 euros in economy class).

 

To participate in the selection, candidates must send the following material to the seminar secretary’s office (email: birun@cini.it) before 15 January 2014:

• a detailed CV clearly indicating the instrument or voice being applied for (e.g. voice; ney; etc.);

• a recording of music in mp3 of the attached piece, “Gezi”, composed by Kudsi Erguner;

• a recording of music in mp3 – NB: Each file must bear the candidate’s first name and surname.

 

The recipients of the six scholarships and the auditors* will be selected by a committee made up of Kudsi Erguner, Giovanni De Zorzi and Giovanni Giuriati, director of the Intercultural Institute of Comparative Music Studies (IISMC) at the Giorgio Cini Foundation. The results of the selection will be communicated to all candidates by 1 February 2014.

 

*Candidates who are selected but not awarded a scholarship may attend the seminar as auditors and will be offered accommodation at their own expense in the Branca Centre Residence (depending on the availability of rooms as established by the organisational secretary’s office).