"I heard about climate change about ten years ago from the radio; I still listen to the same station and it’s carrying on analysing what’s happening. Where I come from my relatives have been working in the fields for years, and they’re talking about how sudden storms are ruining crops, and about the contamination of ground water. Some of my relatives have beehives; the bees are making nectar from flowers growing from poisoned ground water. But the people who surround me in Istanbul, where I will perform ClimateKeys, are not actually aware of the consequences of climate change.” (BIRSEN ULUCAN)
Programme:
A short performance by two young pianists will be followed by Birsen Ulucan:
Medtner - 3 Fairy Tales
Liszt - Dante Sonata
Turkish pianist BIRSEN ULUCAN was born in Schumen, Bulgaria. She studied in Varna Music School (Bulgaria), İstanbul State Conservatoire (Turkey), Guildhall School of Music&Drama and MA City University, London. She has played in number of countries, participating in İnternational Music Festivals like Salzburg Mozarteum, İstanbul Music Festival, France İnternational Flain Music Festival. Besides giving concerts with her brother violinist&violist player Özcan Ulucan and her sister violinist Ayşen Ulucan, she shared the stage with her musician colleagues and friends Maxim Vengerov, Marta Gulyas, İsabelle van Keulen, Christian Poltera.
Birsen Ulucan is teaching at both Conservatoire level as well as working with young children. She has three recordings with Lila Music Lable.
ÖMER MADRA is one of the co-founders and editor-in-chief of the radio channel “Açık Radyo”. Furthermore, he worked as a lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University’s International Relations and Political Science Department.
Between 1999 and 2000 Ömer Madra wrote for the Newspaper Yeni Binyıl. In 1996 he published a book entitled “Rüzgara Karşı” (Against the wind) consisting of articles covering various themes such as science, art, cinema, theatre, music, food, life and sport. From 1985 until 1988, Madra worked as an editor and writer for the journals Playboy, Şehir, Gergedan and Start. In 1985 Ömer Madra published his book “Migrant Workers and International Law” as a result of his research during his scholarship in France granted by the Council of Europe.
In 1977 Ömer Madra earned his PhD, with his thesis entitled “European Convention on Human Rights”.
Activities as a Mercator – IPC Senior Fellow
