Miami International GuitART Festival: Celil Refik Kaya & Mesut Özgen
Feb 16, 2026
From: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM
A concert by two leading figures in contemporary classical guitar brings Spanish and Turkish repertoire into dialogue as part of the 2026 Miami International GuitART Festival.
Presented within the XI Miami International GuitART Festival lineup, the evening features virtuoso Turkish guitarists and composers Celil Refik Kaya and Mesut Özgen in a collaborative program spanning works by Ferdinando Carulli, Manuel de Falla and Astor Piazzolla, alongside original compositions by both artists. The program includes Kaya’s Sonatina No. 2 and Özgen’s Rumeli Türküsü and In Honor of Lou Harrison, with select works featuring pianist Sinan Çayır. Together, the repertoire highlights the technical rigor, rhythmic vitality and cross-cultural influences that shape both Spanish classical traditions and Turkish musical language.
Kaya is internationally recognized for his exceptional technical command and expressive clarity, having performed with major orchestras across the United States and Europe and earned top prizes at leading international guitar competitions. Özgen, praised for drawing deeply from Turkish musical traditions, is an acclaimed performer, composer and educator whose career spans global concert stages, recordings and academic leadership at Florida International University.
The concert takes place Monday, February 16 at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center at FIU. It is part of a weeklong festival running February 15-22, featuring daily concerts, master classes, lectures and a Luthiers Expo. A Miami International GuitART Festival Pass is available for access to all festival events at a reduced rate. Donations to the GuitART Fund help support the festival’s ongoing artistic and educational programming.