BAROQUE IS THE NEW POP
Baroque ensemble Musica Sequenza was founded by bassoonist and composer Burak at The Juilliard School New York in 2008. Since 2011 they are based in Berlin. They stand for the innovation and vitalisation of historical performance. To date they have created over 40 inter-cultural productions with leading festivals, concert halls, theatres and museums around the world. They founded the new music genre electro-baroque.
Love and pain have been immutable since ancient times. In music, they are portrayed as “affects” with carefully delineated lines between them. These two universal feelings from the past are amongst the most valuable heritage for us. Only through these, can we stay close to another. Burak Özdemir
AMOUR FOU @ HÄNDEL FESTIVALS KARLSRUHE & HALLE
AMOUR FOU is an augmented concert with ecstatic opera arias by Händel to tell a dazzling love story between a bassoonist, a singer and a dancer. Özdemir’s bassoon, the unique voice of countertenor Nicolò Balducci and the modern dance by choreographer Dominik Höss will be accompanied by Musica Sequenza. Premiere performance was on 20. February at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Next stop: Händel Festival Halle on June 5.
SAMPLING BAROQUE PURCELL @ ISTANBUL FESTIVAL
Musica Sequenza performs Sampling Baroque Purcell’s world premiere at the 52th Istanbul Music Festival. The performance takes place at the Club Babylon Istanbul. The tour included performances at Händel Festival Halle, Bachakademie Stuttgart, Konzerthaus Berlin, Bachfest Schaffhausen, Radial System, Oranjewoud Fest, Stadttheater Darmstadt, Musikfest Erzgebirge, Borusan House & many more!
BACH : THE SILENT CANTATA @ BACHFEST MONTREAL
With Bach : The Silent Cantata, Burak Özdemir and Musica Sequenza created an entirely new spiritual listening experience. None of the Bach cantata texts appear on the pages of Özdemir’s score, but their place is taken by the emotional power of music, that conveys its message entirely without words. The project celebrates its 10th anniversary and will be performed at the Bachfest Montreal on November 25th.
RAMEAU A LA TURQUE @ SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN FEST
Burak Özdemir has returned to his roots in Istanbul to revive songs by the Ottoman Baroque composer Tanburi Mustafa Çavus and brought them in a dialog with Parisian baroque composer Jean Philippe Rameau. French baroque meets Ottoman court music. European instruments perform with Turkish instruments qanun, kudüm and ney flute. The outcome is an excellent cultural bridge between western and eastern music.
INFERNO @ BERLINER PHILHARMONIE
INFERNO an adventurous program of Italian Baroque, is inspired by Dante Alighieri. The album highlights astonishing works by Monteverdi, Cavalli, Frescobaldi, as well as Landi and Ferrari. INFERNO is created in collaboration with Friends of the Bargello and Neustart Kultur. INFERNO was presented at Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York and recently performed live at Berlin Philharmonic.
KASSIA OPERA @ CELEBRATED GERMANY TOUR
Byzantine composer Kassiani was born in Constantinople in the 9th century. She is the first female composer on the European continent. Her works played a major role in music history, most specifically in the development of Europan church music. Kassiani’s music is reimagined by Burak Özdemir for his opera KASSIA, in coproduction with kainkollektiv, Kampnagel, Ringlokschuppen Ruhr, TAK Theater, Ballsaal Bonn.
HÄNDEL MORPHINE @ UCKERMARK MUSIC WEEKS
The latest Händel project MORPHINE unfolds the most beautiful opera arias by G. F. Händel. Händel’s arias are considered to be the most timeless songs of European musical culture. The work is a delicate selection of Händel’s twelve transcendental and gentle opera arias, is curated for soprano, solo bassoon and baroque ensemble. HÄNDEL MORPHINE album is now available on all platforms in digital, CD & Vinyl.
FESTIVAL D’AVIGNON WITH SASHA WALTZ & GUESTS
Choreographer Sasha Waltz celebrated the premiere of „Dialogue“ at the Festival d’Avignon with Burak Özdemir, as well as the French painter Guillaume Bruère. The artists collaborated in a freely improvised dialogue. The performers moved to the sound of Özdemir’s bassoon and his sound recordings; that Özdemir recorded in Istanbul streets. The performance is dedicated to Gezi Park demonstrations.
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our artistic projects?
Program with female composers DONNE D’AMORE will premiere at Heinrich-Schütz Haus on 21.January. Get your tickets today.
The concert installation OPIUM LOCKED DOWN displayed at the Chretze Turm museum.
Audio-visual work INTERMINATA premiered at the international Mardin Biennial Turkey.
The audio-visual work VERTIGO based on Monteverdi, premiered at the Arthouse of Jersey Island.
KORERO / SOHBET a collage of sound sculptures, is commissioned by the Istanbul Pera Museum.
Musica Sequenza created the score for Karim Ainouz‘ film, which was displayed at Grand Palais Museum.
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