Alqantara
Classical music takes centre stage at Veur Theater in The Hague, where the duo Alqantara – consisting of Ozan Sarıtepe (guitar) and Göksel Yılmaz (oud) – presents a boundary-crossing musical encounter between two worlds that seem further apart than they actually are.
Guitar and oud may appear to come from entirely different musical traditions, but they share a rich, centuries-old history. That tension is precisely what Alqantara explores: a programme that takes the two instruments on a journey through Turkish and Arabic music, across the Balkans and Spain, all the way to Argentina. Composers such as John Dowland, Astor Piazzolla, Béla Bartók and Enrique Granados feature throughout – music that sounds both familiar and surprising, depending on where you're listening from.
Ozan Sarıtepe and Göksel Yılmaz
Ozan Sarıtepe has built an international reputation as a classical guitarist and composer, performing and giving masterclasses at festivals, concert halls and conservatories across Europe. Göksel Yılmaz is rooted in Turkish and Arabic musical traditions and has performed as an oud player, composer and arranger at home and abroad, including at the Concertgebouw. Together they form a duo that doesn't choose between traditions, but actively puts them in dialogue.
Alqantara: more than a concert
The name says it all: alqantara is the Arabic word for bridge. That image runs as a thread throughout the performance. This is no superficial blending of styles, but a genuine dialogue in which each instrument retains its own character while making room for the other. The result is music that acknowledges boundaries without being limited by them.
