ANKARA - Turkish maestro Gurer Aykal was decorated with Finland`s state medal on Thursday.
Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director and Maestro Aykal was honored with Finland`s state medal as he contributed to cultural cooperation between Turkey and Finland.
Finnish Ambassador in Ankara Maria Serenius decorated Aykal with the medal during a ceremony which was held at her residence.
Aykal told AA that he was honored and pleased to be decorated with the medal.
Finland`s State Medal is presented to those who contribute to Finland`s promotion abroad as well as to culture-art and economy areas.
Gurer Aykal, born in 1942 in central Anatolian province of Eskisehir, is a Turkish conductor and Adjunct Professor at Bilkent University. He studied at the Ankara State Conservatoire, completing a course on violin in 1963 and another on composition in 1969. He went on to study conducting in London at the Guildhall School of Music, where he was taught by such conductors as André Previn and George Hurst. He then went to Italy for further study, graduating with a D.M.A. in conducting from Santa Cecilia Academy of Music in 1973. In 1975 he became the principal conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara.From 1987 to 1991, Aykal was the music director of the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra in Texas, and subsequently from 1992 to 2004 he served as the music director of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, also in Texas.
(GC)