Letter from Istanbul celebrates the traditional music of Western Anatolia & Aegean Islands. This project grew out of the longtime musical friendship of Derya Türkan and Sokratis Sinopoulos. Letter from Istanbul is a sophisticated melding of traditional Turkish and Greek folk forms such as zeybeks and sirtos. The ensemble includes: Derya Türkan on kemenche, Sokratis Sinopoulos on kemenche (Turkish fiddle) and lavta (short-necked lute), Ugur Isik on violoncello, Hakan Güngör on kanun (plucked zither), Perikles Papapetropoulos, also on lavta, and the Yarkin brothers, Fahreddin and Ferruh, on percussions. Master Derya Türkan is dedicated to continuing the style of his teacher Ihsan Özgen and of Tanburi Cemil Bey. Sokratis Sinopoulos has played in Ross Daly’s Labyrinth Ensemble, with Greek demotika and rebetika groups, as well as Byzantine music and western jazz ensembles.

Away from politics between nations, joined in the universality of music, this is an invitation that aims to join people. This reflects a cultural brotherhood, a melting pot, relationship among peoples with love despite the kind of boundaries that are drawn.

Derya Türkan - kemenche (kemençe, three-stringed fiddle)
Sokratis Sinopoulos - kemenche (politiki lyra) & lavta (polítiko laoúto)
Ugur Isik - violoncello

Taner Sayacioglu - kanun (plucked zither)

Perikles Papapetropoulos - lavta (polítiko laoúto)
Fahreddin Yarkin - percussion
Ferruh Yarkin - percussion