Fazıl Say in Istanbul: Year-End Concert, December 26, 2026

On Saturday, December 26, 2026, you can hear Fazıl Say in Istanbul at his traditional year-end concert at Volkswagen Arena. The Turkish pianist and composer shares the stage with the Özyeğin Philharmonic Orchestra under Howard Griffiths. The program pairs Mozart with three of his own works, one of them a symphony about the city itself. Since the music needs no words, it makes an easy evening for any visitor. This page covers the date, the program, the pianist and the hall, and we also arrange your tickets.

Fazıl Say in Istanbul: Date and Hall

• Date: Saturday, December 26, 2026
• Start: 9:00 pm; doors open at 7:00 pm
• Hall: Volkswagen Arena, Maslak
• Age: 7 and over; children under 14 come with a parent

The Program: Mozart and the Sound of Istanbul

The evening opens with Say’s Grand Bazaar, a rhapsody for orchestra named after the Grand Bazaar in the old city. Next, Say plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21. After that comes Alla Turca Jazz, his own jazz take on Mozart’s famous Turkish March. Finally, the orchestra plays his Istanbul Symphony. For this work, the ney and the kanun of Turkish classical music join the orchestra, with Burcu Karadağ on the ney and Hakan Güngör on the kanun.

Who Is Fazıl Say?

Fazıl Say won the Young Concert Artists competition in New York in 1994. Since then, he has played with the great orchestras of Europe and America. As a composer, he has also written six symphonies, with works commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the BBC and the Salzburg Festival. His recording of all the Mozart piano sonatas came out on Warner Classics in 2016, and it won him his fourth ECHO Klassik award. In the 2023/24 season, he was Spotlight Artist at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. For more, see Fazıl Say’s own website.

Getting to Volkswagen Arena

Volkswagen Arena stands in Maslak, on the European side of the city. Late arrivals wait for applause before they can enter, so we plan to have you there early. Our driver takes you from your hotel, then brings you back after the concert.

Your Fazıl Say Concert Night With Us

We arrange your tickets, alone or as part of an evening with dinner and a driver, as on our Istanbul concert night. Earlier that day, a licensed guide in your language can show you the Grand Bazaar before you hear its music that night. For the other shows of your stay, see our Istanbul events calendar.