Organized by Gumusluk Culture and Art Association, the festival, which started earlier this month and will runs through Aug. 21, was made possible through sponsorship from Gumusluk Municipality.

The 450-year-old Eklisia Church has hosted numerous local and international artists since 1989. Under Eren Levendoglu's art direction the festival kicked off with a cocktail party followed by a performance of pieces by Mozart and Schubert by pianist David Dolan.

One of world's best pianists
Another guest at the festival is the winner of the 1990 Leeds International Piano Contest Artur Pizarro, considered to be one of the best pianists in the world. Pizarro, who will give a concert on Aug. 15, has performed all over the world with leading orchestras and prominent conductors including Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sir Andrew Davis, Charles Dutoit, Franz Welser-Most and Sir Simon Rattle. The concert program includes pieces by Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven and Albeniz.

Sonatas by Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven and Dvorak
The concert on Aug. 19 will feature one of the best chamber musicians of our time Deniz Gelenbe. Michael Bochmann, who has worked with the English Symphony Orchestra and who's frequently with the English String Instruments Orchestra as lead violinist and director, will also perform. The evening's program features sonatas by Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven and Dvorak.

So far this year the festival has already hosted a concert by the Orchestra Academic Baskent and the pianist and festival's art advisor State Artist Gulsin Onay. This performance was the festival's only open-air concert and was held in the garden of the church. Musicians performed a special program prepared to honor Mozart on the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Famous Georgian violinist
World-famous Georgian violinist Nana Jashvili was also in Gumusluk this week. Jashvili gave a brilliant violin solo performance of Chaconne from Bach's D Minor Partita. Accompanied by pianist Eren Levendoglu, Jashvili performed a program of pieces by Brahms, Chausson and Saint-Saens.

Master classes at Eklisia
The Gumusluk Culture and Art Association, which has organized the festival, was actually founded with the aim of creating an Eklisia Music Center.

This year the Eklisia Music Center is offering young Turkish musicians the opportunity to attend master class music workshops in parallel to the festival for the first time. Talented young musicians who haven't had the opportunity to take part in master classes, which are common abroad, have the chance to work with internationally renowned local and foreign maestros in the calm, inspiring atmosphere of Gumusluk. Gumusluk is surrounded by natural wonders in which musicians can concentrate on their music far removed from their hectic schedules.

There are specially prepared studios offering both accommodation and work space for students throughout the workshops.

The artists performing in the festival are also conducting the master class workshops with programs determined by the directing musician. These workshops, open to the public, are attended by many successful young musicians from Turkey and abroad. While various activities accompany the classes during the day, the young participants also give spontaneous concerts on certain evenings throughout the festival. Information about these concerts can be attained from the Festival Center.

Concert venue
Eklisia Church, which will be open as a concert venue throughout the summer, has unique acoustics because of its domed roof and stone walls. The old church has been hosting various concerts by chamber orchestras as well as solo recitals since last month. The International Classical Music Festival marks the end of the summer concert series at Eklisia.

To bring about the Eklisia Music Center, the Gumusluk Association will create a music library which will house a collection of books and magazines along with select materials for the hearing and visually impaired. The collection will be open to the public.

Future plans include a small cafe that will be open throughout the summer months and thus, while benefiting from the library, visitors will also be able to enjoy the beauty surrounding the church. The cafe will serve a simple but meticulously prepared menu.

Musical instruments workshop
As part of its long-term project, the Eklisia Music Center aims to start a workshop to make and repair a variety of musical instruments in collaboration with universities and conservatories. It will produce instruments in the winter and offer workshops for musicians and those who wish to learn how to make instruments during the summer.

All concerts start at 9:15 p.m. Tickets are available from Port Square and Hizma Hediyelik (giftshop) on Barlar Sokagi (Bar Street) in Bodrum, the Marina Yacht Club in Turgutreis, Imge Kitabevi (bookstore) in Oasis and Eklisia Church and Gumusluk Municipality.