A Wonderful Concert: Whimsy

Ambassador Francis Ricciardone and Dr. Marie Ricciardone hosted a recital called "Whimsy" in their residence on November 25, 2013 in Ankara. American Soprano Angela Ahıskal and Turkish pianist Tayfun İlhan performed works by Arnold Schoenberg, Leonard Bernstein, Eric Satie and O. Resphighi. Their performance was warmly received by an audience of diplomats, musicians, and leaders of the arts community.

From the program notes:
"WHIMSY ...
Lovers' fickleness, faeries on the wing, a child's capriciousness -- they all may change direction like smoke in the wind. This is the whimsical world of dreams. Tonight's program was conceived with this notion in mind. The pieces themselves conjure images of dreams or fanciful circumstances. But in addition, the nature of each set is very different from the others -- a continual shifting from one reflection to the next, as our whims so often do."

ANGELA AHISKAL
A graduate of the performance program at the University at Buffalo, American soprano Angela Ahıskal continued her Masters studies at the Hartt School in Connecticut. Recipient of several awards in Buffalo, Ahıskal was also the advanced division winner of the 2003 NATS competition in Connecticut. A director and a founding member of the University at Buffalo's a cappella ensemble the Royal Pitches between 1997 and 2001, she recorded and produced three albums with the ensemble. Ahıskal also directed, staged and sang in the project Da Capo: A Buffalo Debut. Ahıskal has sung roles with ensembles including the Connecticut Lyric Opera, the Simsbury Light Opera Company and the Connecticut Concert Opera in such productions as Bizet's Carmen, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Sorcerer, and Handel's oratorio Joshua. Her choral experience includes performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and as soloist with the Cheektowaga Orchestra and the Orchard Park Chorale. Equally at home on the concert stage and performing in numerous ensemble and solo recitals, she partnered with Peruvian conductor-pianist Pablo Sabat in a series of recitals of French, German, Italian, and American art song repertoire. Living in Turkey since 2005, Ahıskal headed the founding of the Voice Department at Akdeniz University Antalya State Conservatory. While in Antalya she gave recitals such as Spring Fever and appeared as soloist with Ahıskal Baroque Ensemble led by her husband, Orhan Ahıskal, in Baroktan Esintiler. Ahıskal moved to Ankara in 2011 and in the 2012--2013 season she has given recitals in venues such as the Ankara.

Presidential Symphony Hall and Ergin Orbey Hall in Eskişehir. This season, she will be performing with the Eskişehir Municipal and Bilkent Symphony Orchestras, as well as giving recitals in Ankara, İstanbul, and Konya. Ahıskal is currently on the Opera Department Voice Faculty of the Ankara University State Conservatory.
TAYFUN İLHAN
Born in İzmir in 1987, Tayfun İlhan began studying music privately at the age of 12. In 2001 he was accepted to Işılay Saygın Anatolian Fine Arts High School and continued studying privately with Professor Dr. Nergiz Şakirzade Sarı. İlhan became a student at Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts in 2005, where he studied with Associate Professor Hande Dalkılıç. In 2011, he graduated with honors. During his studies he gave many recitals and chamber music concerts and also made several radio recordings. He conducted the first performances of works by many young composers and participated in master classes of Hüseyin Sermet, Oxana Yablonskaya, Zöhrab Adıgüzelzade, Pamela Mia Paul, Boris Berezovsky, and Özgür Aydın. In 2011 İlhan was invited to Klasik Keyifler Music Festival, held annually in Cappadocia, where he performed with Özcan Ulucan and Ozan Tunca. Tayfun İlhan continues his graduate studies with Assistant Professor Oya Ünler at the Hacettepe University State Conservatory and is an adjunct faculty member at the Ankara University State Conservatory. İlhan is pursuing a career as both a soloist and chamber musician with concert projects and radio broadcasts.