“IKSEV, which continues its work with the slogan ‘Izmir, City of Culture and Arts,’ successfully promotes Turkey and Izmir by bringing some of the world’s most important names in their fields to Izmir through the International Izmir Festival, which it will hold for the 39th time this year. The Izmir Festival, which brings historical venues together with art, has included among its venues the Ephesus Ancient Theatre, Celsus Library, Ephesus Odeon, as well as the House of the Virgin Mary, St. Polycarp Church, Agora, Bayraklı Archaeological Site, Metropolis ‘City of the Mother Goddess,’ Kadifekale where Alexander the Great refounded Izmir, Bergama Asclepion which has been the capital of music therapy throughout the ages, Çeşme Castle and Sığacık Castle in Seferihisar, Turkey’s first slow city, Ayavukla Church and the historic Izmir Cigarette Factory, important witnesses to the city’s history, and the Ephesus Commercial Agora. The International Izmir Festival is a prestigious member of the European Festivals Association with its quality programs and events that bring historical venues to life through art.

Artists such as Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Sting, Elton John, Chris De Burgh, Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryan Adams, James Brown, Paco De Lucia, Fazıl Say, Güher-Süher Pekinel, Leonidas Kavakos, Julian Lloyd Webber, Kudsi Erguner, Shlomo Mintz, Maxim Vengerov, José Carreras, Ivo Pogorelich, Alirio Diaz, Jan Garbarek, Giora Feidman, Marian Geras, Cesaria Evora, Emma Shapplin, Suna Kan, Ian Anderson, Chick Corea, İdil Biret, Nigel Kennedy, George Zamfir and Jane Birkin; orchestras such as The Philharmonia, Czech Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Arturo Toscanini, Berlin Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Bach Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de Paris, La Scala, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, ‘I Musici’ Chamber Orchestra; conductors such as Yuri Temirkanov, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Emre Aracı, Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Ola Rudner, Alexander Rudin, David Giménez, Tolga Kashif, Zubin Mehta, Myung-Whun Chung, Hikmet Şimşek, Rengim Gökmen, Gürer Aykal, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniele Gatti and Sir Simon Rattle; and ballet companies such as Cristina Hoyos, Martha Graham Dance Company, Baryshnikov & White Oak Dance Project, La Scala Ballet, Spanish National Ballet, Geneva Ballet, The Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballet Du Rhin, Maurice Béjart Tokyo Ballet, New York City Ballet, Montreal Jazz Ballet, Dutch National Ballet—IKSEV has succeeded in drawing the world’s attention to the Ancient City of Ephesus and continues to promote our city throughout the world through art by having these artists, who give concerts all over the world, include ‘Izmir Festival’ in their career biographies.”

Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Sting, Elton John, Chris De Burg, Kiri Te Kanawa, Byran Adams, James Brown, Paco De Lucia, Fazıl Say, Güher-Süher Pekinel, Leonidas Kavakos, Julian Llyod Weber, Kudsi Erguner, Shlomo Mintz, Maksim Vengerov, José Careras, Ivo Pogorelich, Alirio Diaz, Jan Garbarek, Giora Feidman, Marian Geras, Cesaria Evora, Emma Shapplin, Suna Kan, Ian Anderson, Chick Corea, İdil Biret, Nigel Kennedy, George Zamfir ve Jane Birkin gibi sanatçılar; The Philarmonia, Çek Filarmoni, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philarmonia Arturo Toscanini, Berlin Oda Orkestrası, St. Petersburg Filarmoni Orkestrası, Leipzig Gewendhaus Bach Orkestrası, Viyana Filarmoni Orkestrası, Moskova Senfoni Orkestrası, Orchestra de Paris, La Scala, Concertgebauw Orkestrası, Berlin Filarmoni Orkestrası, Viyana Filarmoni Orkestrası “I Musici” Oda Orkestrası gibi orkestralar; Yuri Temirkanov, Rafael Fruchbeck de Burgos, Emre Aracı, Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, Vladimir Ashkinazy, Ola Rudner, Alexander Rudin, David Gimenez, Tolga Kashif, Zubin Mehta, Myung-Whun Chung, Hikmet Şimşek, Rengim Gökmen, Gürer Aykal, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, Daniela Gatti ve Sir Simon Rattle gibi şefler; Cristina Hoyos, Martha Graham Dance Campany, Baryshnikov & White Oak Dance Project, Scala Balesi, İspanya Ulusal Balesi, Cenevre Balesi, The Royal Balet of Flanders, Balet Du Rhin, Maurice Bejart Tokyo Balesi, New York City Balet, Montreal caz Balesi, Hollanda Ulusal Balesi gibi bale topluluklarıyla, dünya kamuoyunun dikkatini Efes Antik Kenti’ne çekmeyi başaran İKSEV, dünyanın her yerinde konserler veren bu sanatçıların kariyer bilgilerine “İzmir Festivali” adını yazdırarak, kentimizin tanıtımını tüm dünyada, sanat yoluyla yapmayı sürdürmektedir.