Within the framework of the 19^th North Cyprus International Music Festival

By Heidi Trautmann

It was a beautiful evening and it was mere joy to walk up the street between the old Bellapais houses nicely decorated, with its people sitting in the doorway and watching the music lovers rush by,  with some shops still open, perhaps the passers-by would like to have a shave or haircut? Or buy a painted roof shingle? There is a special charm I never forget to inhale. The last concert of Shifa and Yilmaz Taner’s 19^th Music Festival; I had interviewed Yilmaz on the occasion of the 9^th, he was then still Presidential Art Advisor, and I think it is only fair and high time that we thank them again for their endless efforts to keep this institution going. Please find my interview here:

http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=7831583362#.VYGOkfmqpBc

Also Ilker and Rezzan Nevzat were at the entrance of the hall to distribute the programmes, always in the service of music and art.

The last evening was fully booked out and I am sure that most of the guests are sincere fans of Laden Ince, this young woman with her wonderful soprano.

Laden’s parents who were sitting next to us at the concert told me that Laden and Atakan had rehearsed for many days and endless hours for this concert. I think they work very well together; Atakan Sari is a perfect accompanist for Laden, he is humble in his play and very attentive; not once during the following two hours he was taking the lead except for the solo pieces he played, Mozart and Chopin, he played them softly and tenderly, what seems to be his character, at least in my opinion.

In order to understand Laden Ince’s work, you need to learn about her life, the way she started and what she has in mind for the future. Read my interview with her, I did two years ago.

http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=8182743114#.VYFgIvmqpBc

Her voice is clear and pure, it has matured since I last saw and heard her and that was together with the Chamber Orchestra Capriccio Fredricana in Bellapais where I heard her sing Bach for the first time and we were witness to a new side of her, she sang Bach beautifully; that was also the impression of the leader of the orchestra, so she was invited to show her voice with them for concerts in Strassbourg, Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. This experience with those musicians has influenced her understanding of music, I think, because in this last concert we could hear the result of this experience; a kind of understanding for the tenderness of the pieces she sang, by Mozart Vivaldi, Donizetti, Bellini and Offenbach.

We are very proud of her.

In the last part of my interview she said:

“I plan to come back to Cyprus, this is my home country and I want to meet the audience in North Cyprus more often. My deep wish and dream, however, is to go on tour around the world with the order to represent my country, the TRNC, and also to include some Cypriot music in my programme. That is the task I have set for myself to use my music and voice to communicate with the people of the world.

We will help you, Laden, do your part and keep singing and we do ours and keep supporting you with our trust and love. 

The Bellapais painting is by Anne Hughes