ALQANTARA
ALQANTARA – Where East meets West
“ALQANTARA is our journey of connection – where the guitar and the oud, each with its own rich history, come together. Experience the captivating and unique fusion of these instruments with our dynamic duo that transcends boundaries and celebrates cultural diversity!”
About ALQANTARA
We would like to introduce you to our exciting new musical endeavour – ALQANTARA, a guitar and oud duo where the rich, resonant tones of the guitar and the enchanting melodies of the oud come together in a unique blend of harmonies that transcends cultural, geographical and historical boundaries.
This collaboration not only marks the beginning of our musical partnership, but also celebrates the shared history of these two instruments. The oud, with its roots in the Middle East, predates the guitar and laid the foundation for the development of many stringed instruments. The guitar, which originated in Spain, has become a versatile and popular instrument throughout the world. ALQANTARA is also a bridge (Al-Qantara in Arabic and Alcàntara in Spanish) where the two instruments, with their fascinating shared history, find common ground in our hands.
Our repertoire spans continents, drawing on the passionate rhythms of Argentina, the evocative melodies of Hungary, Spain and England, and the rich traditions of the Balkans, Turkey and the Arab world. We bring to life the works of legendary composers such as Dowland, Piazzolla, Bartok, Granados, Ali Ufki Bey and the young Turkish composer Hakki Cengiz Eren who will also write pieces especially for our duo.
The result is a dynamic musical dialogue full of rich, resonant and enchanting melodies, weaving a tapestry of music that echoes past traditions while sparking innovative, fresh, contemporary expressions, opening a new chapter for this long-standing musical pair.
The Artists
Ozan Sarıtepe – Classical Guitar
Ozan Sarıtepe (1982-Turkey) began playing classical guitar at the age of 15. Today he is an internationally active recitalist, soloist and chamber musician.
He successfully studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory with Prof. Jorge Oraison and obtained his Bachelor’s degree. He later studied for his Master’s degree at the Royal Conservatory of The Hauge, the Netherlands, under the guidance of Prof. Enno Voorhorst. At the same time he studied at the Koblenz Guitar Festival and Academy, Germany, with Prof. Aniello Desiderio, where he obtained his Soloist Diploma.
Ozan Sarıtepe has been invited to perform as a soloist the famous Concerto de Aranjuez in Koblenz with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie during the 16th International Koblenz Guitar Festival. Ozan Sarıtepe has also appeared on many radio and television programmes in Turkey, Germany, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Mexico and Uruguay.
In 2016 Ozan Sarıtepe released his first solo album “Sonidos de Paisajes-Music of Spain” receiving excellent reviews from critics worldwide. Since 2017, Ozan has been the artistic co-director of the Cyprus Guitar Festival. In 2019, together with A.R. Ruiz and V. Santiago, he formed the Trio Orfeo to create a unique style influenced by Balkan, Anatolian, South American and Spanish music. In 2023 they recorded their debut album “The bird at the window”.
“When I heard him play, he reminded me why I love music” Il Fenomeno, Aniello Desiderio
“…Ozan Sarıtepe immediately struck me as a brilliant artist with a bright and elegant future…” Prof. Enno Voorhorst
“Sarıtepe’s interpretations are sensitive, deep, colourful and fresh. They leave no doubt that his music touches our hearts…” Prof. Kagan Korad
“… Ozan’s musical phrase is never “trendy” but fresh and personal, enjoying every note he plays as if he were improvising…” Prof. Jorge Oraison
“…Sarıtepe has achieved the rare thing of creating a musical concept free of clichés; the music of Spain is as exciting as ever and should continue to be so. It is delivered here with unpretentious flair and skilful artistry…” Tim Panting, Classical Guitar Magazine, USA
Göksel Yılmaz – Oud
Göksel Yılmaz is a versatile musician, bandleader, composer and arranger influenced by traditional Turkish and Arabic music and styles like jazz, blues and classical music.
Göksel was born in the Netherlands. He spent part of his childhood in Antakya, where his parents are from. This ancient city, formerly known as Antioch, is located in an Arab region in southern Turkey. Göksel therefore grew up in close contact with Dutch, Turkish and Arabic language, culture and music. From a young age he played the saz (a Turkish stringed instrument). During his secondary school years in Turkey, he played in a folklore choir and founded his first music group. Back in the Netherlands, he formed the band “Anadolu Ezgisi”, with which he performed for more than 10 years. At the same time, he started studying classical guitar at the conservatory in Enschede with the concert
guitarist and composer Louis Ignatius Gall.
In 2006 he founded the “Göksel Yılmaz Ensemble” with which he performed in Belgium, Turkey, Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands they performed at renowned festivals, venues and theatres such as Music Meeting in Nijmegen, Dunya Festival in Rotterdam, RASA in Utrecht and Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2011 they released their debut album ‘Gezgin’. In 2016 their second album “Kan Zaman” was released. In May 2018, “Kan Zaman” was re-released by the Turkish record label Kalan Music. In 2019-2020, Göksel composed the music for the American film “The Hunter” (directed by Alexander P. Gutterman). In October 2020, Göksel Yilmaz released a solo single “Memleket Isterim” on Kalan Music.
About the album “Kan Zaman”:
“The performance on this album is of a very high level. Highly recommended!” – Mixed World Music Magazine, April 2016, by Ton Maas
“…It is a wonderful plea to sing more together.” – Vrije Geluiden, April 2016, by Charlie Crooijmans.
About the album “Gezgin”:
“It’s a fine piece of chamber music with a strong Arabo-Turkish component” –Mixed World Music Magazine, March 2012.
“A more impressive debut album is unthinkable” – Jazzenzo Jazz Magazine, 31 July 2012.
About the dance show SILK:
“The uplifting music of the Göksel Yilmaz Ensemble turns this dance show to something magical.” – Theaterkrant, 4 stars, 12 January 2014.
“The music, inspires extremely and sometimes reminiscent of the music of Renaud Garcia Fons.” – Het Noord Hollands Dagblad-Nanska van de Laar, 21 november 2013