September 24-27, 2003, 2nd Congress of Association of Southeast European Guitarists (ASEG)

The Association is founded in Belgrade in 2001 by well-known guitarists of Turkey, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Bulgaria, chairmen of classical guitar societies and the managing staff of festival. Costa Cotsiolis, one of the most well-known and successful guitarists of the world, Kürşad Terci and Kağan Korad, instructors in Classical Guitar Department of Bilkent University as delegation from Turkey may be enumerated among the founder members of Association.

The most outstanding purposes of the Association are expressed in the first meeting as to support young guitar artists, to organize student exchange programs, and to increase cultural interaction through conferences.

Organizing of the 2nd Congress of Association of Southeast European Guitarists was decided in line with the resolutions taken in Belgrade in 2001

2nd Congress of Association of Southeast European Guitarists was carried out in Ankara on 24-27.09.2003 by co-ordination of the Classical Guitar Society and Bilkent University. More than 30 classical guitarists, members of classical guitar societies, composers, guitar makers, and festival organizing staff were participated in the Congress. Delegation from Romania and Hungary could not participate in apologetically.  Attached please find the list of the names of delegation and instrument makers by country participated in the Congress.

The Congress were followed up from starting to the end by Juan Fernandez Elorriaga, the Journalist from Spain; John Macer Hall, Editor for Classical Guitar Magazine in The United Kingdom; Svetlana Milutinoviç, Editor for the magazine, Guitar Info in Serbia and Herzegovina. The journalists for Hürriyet, Radikal, Andante, and Milliyet dailies from our country participated in the meeting held on 25.09.2003. The news relating the Congress was broadcasted in radios as well as televisions such as TV8, NTV, TRT-3 FM and Maydanoz Radio, and the dailies such as Sabah and Hürriyet.

Lectures were introduced daily in free of charge master classes by the famous master guitarists and guitar educators such as Costa Cotsiolis, Srdan Tosiç, and Bosko Radojkoviç.

Jannis Palaiodimopoulos, the most welknown guitar maker from Greece; and Branislav Markoviç known as a guitar maker in the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro were participated with their guitars in the Congress. Delegates presented information on festivals and guitar competitions organized in their country by means of the samples such as music notes and CDs produced therein in addition to exhibition of guitars of these makers in the mini fairs arranged each day.

Delegates of all countries presented speeches on the “National Guitar Music, Education and Composers of Each Country” selected as the main theme of this year, and supported their presentations with mini concerts and CD performances.

Youngster guitarists performed recites and concerts accompanied by orchestra at the A. Adnan Saygun Research Centre on 24 and 25 September 2003. Programs are as follows:

Wednesday, September 24, at 19:00 / Concert Hall, A. Adnan Saygun Research Centre

RECITAL
Bedri Koçak, Kazım Çokoğullu, Nemanja Ostojic

Thursday, September 25, at 19:00 / Concert Hall, A. Adnan Saygun Research Centre
RECITAL
Mehmet Özkanoğlu, Fotis Koutsothodoros
Saturday, September 27, at 19:00 / Bilkent Concert Hall
CONCERT
Bilkent Symphony Orchestra
Bujor Hoinic, Maestro
Bedri Koçak, Serkan Ağır, Kazım Çokoğullu Guitar Trio
B.Hoinic/ Concerto for Three Guitars an Orchestra
Nemanja Ostojic
J.Rodrigo/ “Concierto de Aranjuez”
C.Debussy/ “Prélude a l’Apres midi d’un faune”
Fotis Koutsothodoros
L.Brouwer/ Concerto “Elegiaco” No.3
This time, a guitarist student of Fotis Koutsothodoros represented Greece and Costa Cottsiolis, the maestro who has been regarded with respect by Turkish people with his successful concerts performed in Turkey previously, and he had a great success.
It was agreed that 3rd Congress of Association of Southeast European Guitarists will be held on 16-19 September 2004 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
According to mutual view of delegates of all countries, this activity taking on a lively note and becoming importance through participation of Turkey with not few of its valuable classical guitarists and composers passed successfully a very important examination in line with the resolutions taken in Belgrade in 2001.
Participation in the 2nd Congress of Association of Southeast European Guitarists (ASEG) on 24-27 September 2003
Sloveniaa
-Sasa Potisak                       
-Igor Skabar                        
-Ivana Ziherl                       
-Bojana Poljsak                  
-Alenka Okorn
Bosnia                         
-Danica Kurtovic       
Bulgaria      
-Petko Genkov  
Macedonia               
-Hristo Hristovski
Serbia ve Montenegro
-Bosko Radojkovic              
-Srdjan Tosic                       
-Srdan Bulatovic                 
-Svetlana Milutinovic         
-Branislav Markovic           
-Fernandez Huan      
-Fernandez Marko              
-Lea Herman                       
-Lazar Ostojic                     
-Radoslav Opalic       
-Nemanja Ostojic

Greece
-Costas Cotsiolis                 
-Jannis Palaiodimopoulos 
-Fotis Koutsothodoros

United Kingdom 
-John Macer Hall
Turkey
-Ahmet Kanneci
-Ceyhun Şaklar                   
-Mete Çarıkçı                       
-Sefa Yeprem                       
-Bedri Kağan Koçak
-Serkan Ağır
-Kazım Çokoğullu
-Kürşad Terci
-Kağan Korad
-Mehmet Özkanoğlu
-Can Denizci
-Cem Yentürk
-Ünal İçöz