A First in Turkey and the World: Two Autistic Geniuses ‘2BU’ Bring East and West Together in Fethiye

One of the prestigious events in the world of classical music, the Fethiye Benyamin Sönmez Classical Music Festival, opens its doors this year with a magnificent project that completely removes barriers and prejudices. The two autistic artists, who formed the "2BU" group, will take the stage in the opening concert to be held on Friday, June 26 at 21:00 at Fethiye Beşkaza Square, open to the public and free of charge.

The East’s Qanun, The West’s Piano: A Culture Bridge That Knows No Barriers on Stage

The greatest feature that makes this concert unique is that it is a first in Turkey and perhaps unprecedented worldwide. Buğra Çankır, a doctoral (Proficiency in Art) student at Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts and a world-renowned autistic pianist, and Burak Berk Boyar, an autistic advanced qanun artist continuing his master's education at the same university, unite two very different worlds of sound on stage.

With the piano, a symbol of Western music, and the qanun, one of the most powerful instruments of Eastern music, the genius of two autistic musicians transforms into a single spirit. The duo will offer the audience a musical feast by performing both the immortal classics of Western music and unique pieces of the East together in their 1.5-hour extensive repertoire.

Not Just Awareness, but A Global Artistic Phenomenon

This special performance, which has already created a great wave of excitement at the local level in Fethiye, represents artistic excellence and academic success far beyond autism awareness. The harmony demonstrated by these two talented young people carries to the national stage the most concrete and mesmerizing proof of the unifying power of determination, education, and music worldwide. This historic meeting is not only the festival's most special moment but also a turning point candidate in music history.