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World-renowned Italian tenor Alessandro Safina and Turkish DJ-producer Burak Yeter will share the stage in Istanbul and Ankara with a new concert project that brings together classical music, orchestral arrangements and electronic sounds.
The first concert will take place tomorrow at Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater in Istanbul, followed by another performance on June 6 at the ATO Congresium in Ankara. The concerts will also feature Cecilia Krull, known for the song “My Life is Going On” from the series “La Casa de Papel,” and Cristina Ramos, who was selected among the top five singers on “America’s Got Talent.”
Accompanied by the Cinema Symphony Orchestra, the project aims to bring classical and modern tones into the same performance setting. Organized by Musicarium and Y Culture & Art the concerts are designed to appeal to both classical music listeners and electronic music fans.
Burak Yeter said he was proud to host Safina in Türkiye and described the collaboration as a distinctive project that joins classical music with electronic production.
He said they first went to Italy for three concerts and returned with an agreement for 10 performances, inviting Safina to Türkiye as part of a broader concert plan. Yeter also said they have been working together in the studio, where they have tested new versions of songs in different languages, including Turkish, Italian, German, Greek and Dutch.
Yeter noted that around 70 musicians will accompany them on stage and added that he will also play piano and guitar during the concert.
Explaining the musical concept, Yeter said they wanted to bring a DJ technique known as the “mashup” into classical music. A mashup is a performance or production method that blends parts of different songs into a single piece.
Yeter said the Türkiye concerts will mark the beginning of a world tour with Safina and that they plan to perform at venues such as Aspendos, Side, Perge, Harbiye Open-Air Theater, Bodrum Ancient Theater and Izmir Open-Air Theater.
He also said they plan to create a symphonic version of Neset Ertas’ “Yalan Dunya” and would like to perform “Bilebilseydi,” Safina’s previous duet with Sezen Aksu. According to Yeter, the project may also include works associated with figures such as Mustafa Itri and Baris Manco.
Yeter said Safina was deeply interested in Turkish music and responded positively to the artists and songs presented to him. He added that Safina had tried singing Turkish songs in the studio and performed “Yalan Dunya” with strong emotions.
Although Safina does not speak Turkish, Yeter said they translated the lyrics for him so he could understand the meaning behind the song. He described this interest as a source of pride and said Safina would carry that feeling into the concerts.
Alessandro Safina said working with Burak Yeter was a different experience for him, adding that the audience would see something unusual and, he hoped, memorable.
Safina said he had been looking into historic venues such as Hierapolis and Aspendos, recalling that he had performed at Aspendos two or three years ago and knew its atmosphere well. He described the venue as beautiful and magical.
The Italian tenor said he had never worked with a DJ before but emphasized that Yeter was not only a DJ, but also a musician, a talented artist and a strong producer.
Safina also recalled his earlier Turkish duet with Sezen Aksu and said he was sorry that he did not speak Turkish. He added that he was happy, excited and proud to be in Türkiye throughout the summer, saying both he and Yeter would do their best for the audience.
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