Derya Turkan – kemence & Kyriakos Kalaitzidis – oud, voice

The two winners of Aga Khan Music Awards 2025 in a musical voyage across Mediterranean Traditions

We are proud to present a world-class musical collaboration featuring two of the most distinguished figures in contemporary Mediterranean music: Kyriakos Kalaitzidis and Derya Turkan. Both artists have been honored with the prestigious 2025 Aga Khan Music Award, a distinction that recognizes their exceptional contribution to the preservation, research, and evolution of global musical heritage.

This concert is a profound artistic dialogue around Mediterranean. By bringing together these two master-virtuosos, the program explores the shared melodic languages and the rich historical tapestries of the Levant and the Balkans. It is a performance that transcends borders, blending spiritual depth with technical brilliance.

2025 Aga Khan Music Awards highlight the contribution of these two artists to the global musical landscape. This collaboration presents a rare opportunity to host two of the year’s laureates on the same stage, offering a program that balances rigorous scholarship with high-level performance. It is a focused exploration of the shared musical grammar of the Mediterranean and the East, presented by two of its most dedicated practitioners.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GTUa4hPypc

Derya Turkan, an esteemed classical kemençe artist, composer, and educator, was awarded an Aga Khan Music Award 2025 for his significant contributions to sharing Turkish classical and folk music worldwide. Through exceptional musicianship and innovative cross-cultural collaborations, with artists such as Jordi Savall, Renaud-Garcia Fons, and Djivan Gasparyan, he skillfully integrates elements of maqam, jazz, and various global genres. Born in Istanbul, Türkan received his formal training at Istanbul Technical University’s Turkish Music Conservatory, where he studied for ten years under renowned kemençe player Ihsan Özgen. He has held long-term positions with the State Ensemble for Classical Turkish Music at the Ministry of Culture, TRT (Turkish Radio Television) Istanbul Radio, and the Kudsi Erguner group.

Kyriakos Kalaitzidis is a distinguished oud player, composer, and scholar recognised for his contributions to bridging Islamic and Euro-Mediterranean musical traditions, a contribution honoured with the 2025 Aga Khan Music Award. As a member of “En Chordais” or as soloist he has given more than 2000 concerts in 50 countries in major festivals and venues. As Artistic Director and co-founder of the ensemble En Chordais, established in 1993, Kalaitzidis has advanced the research and performance of music from the Levant, supported by in-depth scholarship on post-Byzantine music manuscripts. Since 2020, Kalaitzidis has taught at the University of Ioannina, in Greece. As Artistic Director of the MediMuses project, funded by the Euromed Heritage programme, Kalaitzidis promoted artistic, educational, and research-related activities across 13 countries in the Mediterranean and Europe.