Performer: Sascha Goetzel

Jean-Louis Martinoty’s scenically seductive Don Giovanni comes as a welcome relief from recent Regietheater aberrations. 

Philip Glass' Eleventh Symphony, given its Turkish première at the Istanbul Music Festival, returns to his signature repetitive style. 

Most music Festivals only have to deal with demanding divas, mercurial maestros or bad weather. In Istanbul there is a lot more at stake.

With a remarkably extensive season featuring a slew of major guests, and the cream of Japanese classical music talent, the TMSO has an uncanny ability to switch between musical styles on a dime.