DCINY Expands Partnership with TURKSOY

Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is thrilled to embark upon its first concert tour of Turkey at the invitation of TURKSOY, the International Organization of Turkic Culture. Featuring the expanded forces of The Jonathan Griffith Singers, 85 voices strong, with orchestra and conducted by Jonathan Griffith, the concerts will include Ahmed Adnan Saygun's magnum opus, Yunus Emre Oratorio, a work inspired by the thirteenth-century Turkish poet Yunus Emre, as well as an excerpt from Haktan Gelen Serbeti, ("The Drink from God"), a new work by Christopher Tin commissioned by DCINY to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Turksoy and as a gift from the citizens of the United States to the people of Turkey.

"I am most excited about this new joint adventure between DCINY and TURKSOY," commented Jonathan Griffith, DCINY's Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, "Both organizations have similar interests and values in terms of exposing the public to the culture of different countries and their people. We anticipate a long and fruitful relationship."

DCINY will begin its concert tour in the ancient city of Eski?ehir, the birthplace of Yunus Emre, on June 3rd. In Eski?ehir, as well as in the capital city of Ankara the following evening, The Jonathan Griffith Singers will perform with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, one of the first symphony orchestras in the world. On June 7 in Istanbul, the singers are joined by the Cemal Resit Rey Orchestra.

The June tour follows DCINY's first collaboration with Turksoy last April. Symphony of Voices from Turkic Lands featured the TURKSOY Symphony Orchestra, composed of 80 distinguished performers from several Turkic nations, and the Jonathan Griffith Singers for concerts at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City and at the Strathmore Music Center in Washington, DC.

One of the most famous Turkish musicians, Ahmed Adnan Saygun (1907-1991) earned international acclaim for the "Yunus Emre Oratorio," composed in 1946. The oratorio, which incorporates Turkish modes and folk melodies, has been translated into five languages and performed worldwide, including an English-language performance at the United Nations in 1958. One of the most important representatives of early Turkish mysticism, 13th-century poet Yunus Emre devoted himself to the themes of divine love and human destiny.

Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin's work covers diverse terrain: from thrilling fusions of orchestral and world music, to brooding reinventions of 90s electronica, to award-winning scores for film, video games, and commercials. His music has been performed by orchestras including the National Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Metropole Orchestra. DCINY recently presented Tin's Grammy-winning work Calling All Dawns at Lincoln Center to unanimous acclaim and will present a concert of his works at Carnegie Hall in April 2014.

Founded by conductor and educator Jonathan Griffith in 1987 as a chamber choir of 24 professional singers in Portland, Oregon, the Jonathan Griffith Singers is a flexible ensemble of 80-120 amateur and professional singers from across the United States and Canada, based in New York City. Members of the ensemble have performed in some of the world's finest concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, the Rudolfinum in Prague, the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome, and the Cathedral Duomo of Pisa in Italy. Recognized for their appealing and accessible programming, the Singers perform a wide range of repertoire. Most recently, the Singers have toured to Argentina, and to the People's Republic of China, where they performed the Chinese premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: Music for Peace with the celebrated Xin Ya Kong Qi Symphony Orchestra at Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall and Shanghai's Oriental Arts Center.

TURKSOY-International Organization of Turkic Culture was established in 1993 with the objective to strengthen cooperation between Turkic peoples. With its focus on culture and the arts for the past 20 years, the organization consists of six founding members: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and eight observer members. TURKSOY aims at the preservation, revitalization and development of Turkic culture around the world.

Founded by Iris Derke (General Director) and Jonathan Griffith (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor) Distinguished Concerts Internationalis driven by passion, innovative vision, a total belief in its artists, and unwavering commitment to bringing forth unforgettable audience experiences. DCINY is a creative producing entity with unmatched integrity that is a talent incubator, a star-maker, and a presenter of broadly accessible, world-class musical entertainment.