There have been thousands of cover versions of songs recorded by iconic rock band Pink Floyd, whose albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and The Wall (1979) are among the biggest selling albums of all time.
The interpretation of their music by one Turkish artist has grabbed the band’s interest though. On its official Facebook page, the band notes that classically-trained pianist “AyseDeniz Gokcin has interpreted Floyd’s music in a ‘Lisztian’ way.”
Taking her cue from Hungarian composer, conductor, and virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt, Ayşedeniz Gökçin has been touring her classical makeover of Pink Floyd hits since 2013.
On 23 November, she will make her UK debut with Pink Floyd Classical, following similar performances in Argentina, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Portugal, Bulgaria, Austria and Hong Kong.
Gökçin is a graduate in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester NY, and holds a Master’s Degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London under the expert tuition of Douglas Humpherys and Christopher Elton.
The decision to create a classical concert around Pink Floyd’s music came after three of her piano arrangements of their songs – Hey You, Wish You Were Here, and Another Brick In The Wall – went viral, attracting positive reviews from progressive rock listeners. She has gone on to write piano arrangements for a further seven Floyd songs.
As a classically trained pianist with a love of rock music, her aim is to unite these diverse worlds and audiences through performances in both formal music halls and in non-classical venues around the world.
See Gökçin perform them live at St James’s Sussex Gardens, a stunning nineteenth century Grade II listed church in Paddington that is equally renowned for its music concerts as for its daily mass.
Concert details
Title: Pink Floyd Classical: London – UK premiere by pianist Ayşedeniz Gökçin
Date: Thursday, 23rd November 2017
Times: Doors Open 19:30; Concert begins at 20:00 and finishes at 21:30
Venue: St James’s Sussex Gardens, Paddington, London W2 3UD
Tickets: Available from £20 to £75 plus booking fee via Eventbrite
Artist info: aysedenizgokcin.com
