This concert commemorates the violin virtuoso Suna Kan, who passed away in June 2023. Born in Adana in 1936, she received her initial training at the Ankara State Conservatoire. At the age of nine she electrified the audience in the Turkish capital with a performance of two violin concertos, and in 1948 a special law was passed to allow two ‘wonder children’ – her and pianist İdil Biret – to continue their studies in Europe. At the Paris Conservatoire, she studied with Gabriel Bouillon, graduating in 1952. After winning prizes at a number of international competitions in France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, in 1957 she returned to Turkey, where she served as concert master and soloist at the Presidential Symphony Orchestra for a full 44 years. From 1986 onwards she was also Professor of Violin at the Music and Performing Arts Department of Bilkent University, Ankara.
Suna Kan enjoyed worldwide fame. A recording by her of the last movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 5 in A major – one of the two pieces she played at that fateful concert in Ankara in 1946 – is available on YouTube. It includes a beautifully-played cadenza in which her hallmark smooth, fulsome tone and perfect intonation are immediately apparent.
Taking part in the event on November 24 will be the conductor Gürer Aykal as presenter, pianist Cana Gürmen, violin virtuoso Cihat Aşkın, violinists Tangör Ertaş, Esra Gökoğlu, Leyla Berk and Bahar Biricik, viola-player Görkem Çalgan and cellist Murat Berk. Two of these musicians had a connection with Suna Kan during her lifetime: Gürer Aykal founded the TRT Ankara Chamber Orchestra together with her in the 1970s, and Cana Gürmen was one of her three duo partners, the other two being Ferhunde Erkin and Gülay Uğurata.
Issue 67, December 2024
Beauty in the Wilderness
