PRIZES AWARDED AT THE ESKİŞEHİR INTERNATIONAL GÜRER AYKAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION

The Eskişehir International Gürer Aykal Conducting Competition, organised for the first time this year by Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality as part of the 2026 Year of Eskişehir programme and attracting significant attention from the international classical music community, concluded with the final concert and award ceremony. Bringing together young conductors from around the world in Eskişehir, the competition created unforgettable moments for both the music world and the city.

During the final concert, held at the Atatürk Culture, Art and Congress Center, the four finalists took the stage accompanied by the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Symphony Orchestra. Following the evaluations of the international jury, Wei-Chung Chen was awarded first prize, Hancheng Guo received second prize, William Lai placed third, and Brian Liao received an Honourable Mention.

The competition was held under the artistic direction of Rengim Gökmen, while the jury was chaired by distinguished conductor Gürer Aykal. The international jury also included Terje Mikkelsen, Emil Tabakov, José Ferreira Lobo and James Ross. Throughout the competition, the jury carefully evaluated the performances of the young conductors before announcing the winners following the final concert.

Bringing together distinguished figures from the international music community in Eskişehir, the competition provided an important platform for the professional development of young conductors while once again highlighting Eskişehir's strong identity as a city of culture and the arts.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RECEIVES WIDESPREAD ACCLAIM

The Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Symphony Orchestra played a key role in the success of the competition. Working with a total of twelve young conductors throughout the event and performing works from different musical periods, the orchestra earned the admiration of both the jury members and music lovers with its outstanding technical proficiency, disciplined performance and artistic harmony.

As one of the strongest pillars of this internationally organised event, the orchestra made a significant contribution to the prestige of the competition through the excellence of its musicians and its remarkable performances.

LEADING FIGURES OF THE ARTS GATHERED IN ESKİŞEHİR

The final concert and award ceremony were attended by Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce, Metropolitan Municipality Advisor Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen, Tepebaşı Mayor Ahmet Ataç, Pınar Alpay, Secretary General of the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation, representing the foundation, Reyhan Ekşi, Founding Partner and General Manager of Lande, the competition's main sponsor, Burcu Acartürk Yıldız, sponsor of the awards, as well as many music enthusiasts.

In her speech at the ceremony, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce highlighted Eskişehir's rich cultural and artistic heritage and thanked Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen for his invaluable contribution to the establishment and development of the Symphony Orchestra. She also congratulated Gürer Aykal, after whom the competition is named, the jury members, the orchestra musicians, the sponsoring organisations and everyone who contributed to the organisation.

ÜNLÜCE: "THIS EVENT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC JOURNEY"

Emphasising that the municipality places great importance on culture and arts projects within the vision of the 2026 Year of Eskişehir, Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce said:

"We have never regarded this event as merely a competition. For us, it has always been about much more than selecting the winners. This event represents another milestone in the cultural and artistic journey initiated by Professor Yılmaz Büyükerşen with the establishment of the Symphony Orchestra and the City Theatres in 2001. Seeing this concert hall filled to capacity every week demonstrates how strong the foundations laid years ago truly are. The dedication of our orchestra and the achievements of our artists are a source of great pride for us all."

GÜRER AYKAL: "THE YOUNG GENERATION GIVES US HOPE FOR THE FUTURE"

Gürer Aykal, the competition's namesake and Chair of the Jury, expressed his satisfaction with the performances of the young conductors, saying: "Today we witnessed the exceptionally high standard at which these young conductors and musicians interpreted the repertoire. This gives us great hope for the future. I would like to thank Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ayşe Ünlüce for making this competition possible. It is also a great source of pride for me to see the level this orchestra--founded by Yılmaz Büyükerşen in 2001--has reached today."

FIRST PRIZE AWARDED TO WEI-CHUNG CHEN

After receiving the first prize, Wei-Chung Chen expressed his happiness, noting that this was the first award of his professional career.

Chen said: "This is the first award I have ever received in my career, which makes it especially meaningful to me. I would like to thank Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, the jury members and everyone involved in organising this competition. I am also deeply grateful to the orchestra that worked with us throughout the competition and to my fellow conductors with whom I shared the stage."

As part of the final performance, Wei-Chung Chen conducted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" and Ludwig van Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3.

BÜYÜKERŞEN: "ESKİŞEHİR HAS BECOME A CITY OF THE ARTS"

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Büyükerşen expressed his delight at witnessing Eskişehir's transformation into a major centre for culture and the arts.

He said: "Today, I have the great happiness of seeing Eskişehir become a city of the arts beyond even my dreams. The progress our Symphony Orchestra has made since its establishment is truly inspiring. The fact that our concert halls are now filled to capacity and that art has become an integral part of urban life demonstrates how powerfully the spark of culture ignited years ago has continued to grow."

Receiving remarkable international recognition in its inaugural year, the Eskişehir International Gürer Aykal Conducting Competition has demonstrated its potential to become a lasting tradition through the opportunities it offers young musicians and the significant contribution it makes to Eskişehir's artistic life.

WHO IS WEI-CHUNG CHEN, THE WINNER OF THE COMPETITION?

Wei-Chung Chen is a Taiwanese conductor and music educator of the younger generation. He is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Chen has conducted numerous symphony, youth and university orchestras across the United States and Asia. He serves as Music Director of the Bloomington MAYO Philharmonic Orchestra and has received awards in international conducting competitions. He has also appeared as a guest conductor in Budapest, Taiwan and the United States. In addition to his conducting career, Chen is well known for his educational work supporting the development of young musicians.