Compositions by Edvard Grieg, Fazıl Say, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Maurice Ravel were on the repertoire of the 63rd “Ohrid Summer,” presented through an extraordinary performance by the young yet virtuoso musicians of the Turkish trio “Vekando.”
The Turkish evening of “Ohrid Summer,” on the stage at the “St. Sophia” church, featured violinist Veriko Tchumburidze, cellist Dorukan Doruk, and pianist Cihan Cakmur, who captivated the festival audience with their musicality.
The members of the “Vekando” trio are awarded young musicians, but above all, they are driven by a strong desire for collaborative music-making, which makes their performances truly exceptional.
– This is our first time in Ohrid and in Macedonia, and we are truly amazed by its beauty. We had heard a lot about this place, but we were pleasantly surprised when we experienced its beauty firsthand. The acoustics in the church were impeccable, and we could hear each other perfectly. We are very satisfied with the energy that prevailed tonight. The program is special for us because we had the honor of performing a piece by our artist Fazıl Say. We played with great pleasure, especially since the repertoire we played together is rare, said the members of the “Vekando” trio after the concert.
Veriko Tchumburidze is a Georgian violinist who achieved international fame at the age of 20 after winning the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition in 2016. She is an exceptional soloist and chamber musician, particularly known for her imaginative approach to music. She has recorded several albums featuring works by composers such as Anton Vranicky and John Williams. She plays a violin crafted by Giambattista Guadagnini, which she received on loan from the German Foundation.
Dorukan Doruk is a cellist who has won numerous competitions and performed in renowned concert halls around the world. He was awarded the second prize at the competition for cellists named after composer Witold Lutosławski. In 2022, he recorded his first CD, which he promoted in 2023 under the label “Genuin.” He has performed with musicians such as Fazıl Say, Yo-Yo Ma, and Gary Hoffman. He plays an instrument crafted by Antonio Testore, which he received on loan from the German foundation “Musikleben.”
Cihan Cakmur is the winner of the first prize, as well as the special prize for chamber music at the Hamamatsu International Competition in 2018, and the Scottish International Piano Competition in 2017. His album recorded for BIS was acclaimed as the Best Solo Album, and he was named the Best Young Musician at the ICMA Awards. He is also a recipient of the “Shock Classics” and “Golden Diapason” awards. Cakmur studied under the guidance of Diana Andersen and Grigory Gruzman at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar.
