ISTANBUL
Russian composer and pianist Evgeny Grinko has released his latest single “Murmuration” from his upcoming album Winter Moonlight, accompanied by a music video filmed in Istanbul’s historic Basilica Cistern.
According to Grinko, he was looking for a location that could convey the feeling of the piece, and found it in The Basilica Cistern.
“The images created by this music allow me to travel to parallel realities as well as horizontally in time. For the video, I wanted to find a location where I could convey this mythical feeling. I found it in this underground location. Can anybody recognize it? Hint: it is in Istanbul!”
Located on the historic peninsula of Sarayburnu, walking distance from both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Mosque, the cisterns are famed for their unique, almost otherworldly atmosphere.
The underground cistern was built in 542 by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to supply the Great Palace of Constantinople – as the city was then known – with clean water. The cistern is home to a striking sculpture of the mythological monster Medusa, along with other memorable sights.
Grinko will perform live in Türkiye later this month, with concerts scheduled in Diyarbakir on Dec. 17, Canakkale on Dec. 21, Kocaeli on Dec. 22, and Istanbul on Dec. 24.
The album Winter Moonlight will be released on Feb. 7, 2025, by Nettwerk.
