On the evening of May 28, as part of the 11th Northern Cyprus International Bellapais Music Festival, the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Regional Band, conducted by Band Major Özdemir Bayhan and accompanied by soloist Vasfiye Çakırtaş, gave a wonderful concert.
The concert was so wonderful that music lovers gave the performance a standing ovation.
We sit down for a pleasant conversation at Büyük Han with soprano Vasfiye Çakırtaş, the only opera singer in our country, who won the admiration of everyone in attendance.
Cem KAR: Ms. Çakırtaş, congratulations on your successful performance the other evening. You won great acclaim and received a standing ovation. My first question is about that: I’m curious, what were you feeling at that moment?
Vasfiye Çakırtaş: We gave a concert last year, and it was lovely, but this year’s was something else! I experienced incredible emotions that I will never forget for as long as I live… It was also a first for me: I had never before performed for such a large gathering of dignitaries, including the President, ministers, mayors, and so on. It was very exciting for me. As for the applause, you know how they say, “It has to be experienced to be understood”? That’s exactly how it was for me, and it was a great source of pride. At that moment, I understood even more clearly that there is nothing more powerful than art!
C.K: You’re absolutely right... Could you tell us a little about yourself? For example, where did you study?
V.Ç: I graduated from Hacettepe State Conservatory, Department of Performing Arts, Opera Division. I was one of the students of our teacher, mezzo-soprano Şebnem Algın, and I attended a masterclass with Prof. H. Helge Dorsch (German). I succeeded in that, too.
C.K: You’ve come a long way in this field.
V.Ç: My education lasted 7 years: I started school in 1998 and graduated in 2005. Studying at a conservatory isn’t easy!
C.K: As far as I know, and from what I can see, people who go from Cyprus to Turkey to study generally don’t choose opera—although you are our country’s only opera singer. Why did you choose this field?
V.Ç: I never dreamed, “I’ll go and study opera and become an opera singer!” Music was always part of my life, but I had never considered this field. I have an interesting story about how I chose this art form: When I was in college, I was in the school choir. Sometimes I took part in programs produced by Mr. Abdullah and broadcast on BRT. One of those programs was dedicated to the Commander of the Security Forces (GUV. K.K.). The next day, the Commander at the time, General Hasan Peker GÜNAL, invited us to see him and said that, with a voice like mine, I absolutely needed classical training and that our country needed it. He encouraged me and showed me the way. Hacettepe was contacted, and I took the entrance exams. In the end, I was accepted and graduated in 2005. As I said, I had never been interested in opera; in fact, I first encountered this art form at school. But I loved it and performed it—and I still do.
C.K: So why aren’t more artists coming out of our country? Or will there be more?
V.Ç: There are friends who are taking vocal lessons and following in my footsteps. We have also had older artists who were opera singers, but at present I’m the only person besides them to hold the title of opera singer.
C.K: A common difficulty for artists is that they can’t make a living if they only pursue their profession. So they have to take on other work. What do you do?
V.Ç: For the past 1.5 years, I’ve been teaching “Individual Voice Training” (singing) at Lefkoşa Anadolu Fine Arts High School. I’m the soloist with the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Regional Band. To be honest, after graduating in 2005, I wasn’t sure whether I should return. After all, the value placed on art is plain to see! And there are people who don’t know what opera is. But all that aside, I’m glad I came back. At least people have learned what opera is. If I’ve made any contribution in that regard, I’m happy…
C.K: You’re with the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Regional Band. What’s the working environment like there?
V.Ç: It’s wonderful… Performing with an orchestra is very important and feels different (it’s not the same as performing with just a piano). They have been very supportive of me, and I’ve supported them in the same way. I think we’ve done some successful work. We’ve given close to 9 concerts, and our work together will continue. I’m very happy to work with them.
C.K: What do you think of the music being made in our country, and where do you think we are at this point?
V.Ç: I don’t want to resort to clichés, but I can’t help saying it: I think we could do better. We shouldn’t forget that we’re still developing. The reactions I’ve heard from the public after our students’ concerts show that, too. We’ve made a start, but there’s still a lot we need to do.
C.K: As far as I know, our state doesn’t have an institution in this field. For example, Turkey has the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. What are your thoughts on this? And do you receive support from our state?
V.Ç: There aren’t many opportunities to put the education we’ve received to use and make a contribution. As you said, it would be wonderful to have a Presidential Symphony Orchestra. As for support, I have a project that we could turn into reality if we received backing.
C.K: What kind of project?
V.Ç: I want to prepare an album of Cypriot works, performing them using classical vocal technique. By the way, people have been encouraging me in this direction, asking, “Why don’t you do it?” Doing it isn’t the problem; I really want to, and I’d be proud to do it. But it requires financial support. It’s impossible for me to fund it with my own earnings. I need serious support for this! We’re ready in every respect, and as long as we receive support, there’s nothing we can’t do!
C.K: I’d love to hear Cypriot works performed using classical vocal technique. I hope someone comes forward to offer support after reading this interview. Let’s return to the concert the other evening. How did the preparations go, and what pieces did you perform?
V.Ç: We had four rehearsals, as well as a dress rehearsal on the day of the concert. The rehearsals were lots of fun and went very well. Of course, the concert was very exciting. The pieces we performed were the Azerbaijani folk song “Aygız,” the Neapolitan song “O Solemio,” the aria “Summer Time,” the folk song “Sen Gelmez Oldun,” a section from “The Phantom Of The Opera,” the folk song “Hoş Gelişler Ola,” and we closed with the “10th Year March.”
C.K: And finally, what would you like to say?
V.Ç: My greatest aim is to represent my country abroad with distinction. If our leaders support us, we can find opportunities to introduce our country abroad as well. Art is a universal language. We can take part in festivals held abroad today. I think art is the best and easiest way to introduce our country.
C.K: Thank you for this lovely conversation, and I wish you every success in your work…
V.Ç: Thank you.