Sultan Murad IV closes Istanbul Opera Festival at Topkapi

The fourth Istanbul International Opera Festival wrapped up on Monday night with a performance of “IV. Murat” (Sultan Murad IV), ending the 15-day festival at the courtyard of the historic Topkapi Palace. The Samsun State Opera and Ballet production was presented twice, on Sunday and Monday nights, as the final two performances on the festival's bill, which was made up of 10 performances of six productions in total. The opera featured basses Bulent Atesoglu and Tevfik Rodos as Sultan Murad IV in a rotating cast, with veteran director Gurcil Celiktas as director and Tolga Tavis as the orchestra's conductor. Late Turkish composer Okan Demiris' opera in three acts depicts the life and times of the 17th Ottoman sultan, who lived from 1612 to 1640 and reigned for 17 years.