The magical music of Asia Minor was heard throughout the Sydney Opera House on Sunday as Greek and Turkish musicians gave a special concert to a sold-out crowd.
The concert, titled ‘Songs Without Borders,’ was held in the Utzon Room and featured songs performed in both Greek and Turkish to showcase the intermingled and diverse melodies and rhythms of Asia Minor culture.
READ MORE: Greek and Turkish musicians join forces to perform at the Sydney Opera House.
Photos by: Vasilis Vasilas. 
The stars of the show were six talented musicians including, Ayșe Göknur Shanal and Georgette Giatis on vocals, Michael Platyrrahos on the Cretan lyra and lute, Kurdish musician, Deniz Şimşek, on the bağlama, Panayioti Kalandranis on the guitar and Kurdish musician, Adem Yılmaz, on percussion.
During the concert, audience members were amazed to see the bağlama playing alongside the Cretan lyra in a seamless performance.
In attendance on the night were also a number of Greek and Turkish dignitaries such as His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, Martha Mavrommatis, Consul General of Greece, Christos Karras, Imam of the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque, Bilal Aksoy, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey, Ali Sevim, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Turkey, Dundar Evliyaoglu, and the Consul General of the Russian Federation, Igor Arzhaev.
“The event was very successful and we are planning to do more in the new year,” musician Georgette Giatis tells The Greek Herald.
