Mehmet Mestçi

Mehmet Mestçi was born in Istanbul. When studying at Hacettpe University Ankara State Conservatory, he moved to Budapest and pursued his study at the Istvan Matuz′s flute class in the Franz Liszt Music Academy Debrecen Conservatory. He graduated from the conservatory in 1992. The next year, Mestçi entered the Faculty of Music at Edinburgh University and completed his master′s degree in Musicology in 1993. In addition to music, Mestçi has had an interest in filmmaking and moved to Morocco, where he shot several films. His two documentary films "Yaşasın Macar" and "Merzuga Çölün Eşiğinde Bir Kasaba," and the short film "İskenderiye Tütünü" had been screened in Budapest and broadcasted on Hungarian and Moroccan TV. He was invited to several film festivals. All this experience coalesced into bright ideas for musical entrepreneurship once he returned to Istanbul. In 2010, Mestçi organized "Istanbul 2010 Chopin Piano Weeks" on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin with the sponsorship of the Agency of European Capital of Culture 2010. Because of this activity, Mestçi received a "Chopin Diploma" from the Polish Ministry of Culture in 2011. In the same year, he organized "Istanbul Liszt Piano Weeks" on the occasion of 200th Anniversary of Franz Liszt, and presented eight concerts of the music of Franz Liszt. Since 2012, Mestçi has served as an Art Director in the International Opus Amadeus Chamber Music Festival. He is also the art director of the Pera Museum Chamber Music Concerts.

Reference: festivalopusamadeus.com, timeoutistanbul.com