Teaching Dates : August 5 ~ 9, 2027
Teaching Languages : English, Turkish
Award-winning Turkish cellist with more than three decades of professional experience as a soloist, orchestral principal, chamber musician and educator. International appearances across Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East; extensive experience in advanced cello training, chamber music coaching and professional performance preparation.
SELECTED CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Hacettepe University State Conservatory; studies with Jozsef Györffy and Prof. Doğan Cangal; graduated with high honors (1996).
• Masterclasses with Louis Claret and János Starker; early international touring with the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra.
• Former Solo Cellist of the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra; member of the Borusan Quartet (2005–2023).
• Solo appearances with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Türkiye, İzmir, Bursa and Antalya State Symphony
Orchestras, CRR Symphony Orchestra, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra and others.
• Collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Fazıl Say, Valentin Erben, Robert Cohen, Alexander Rudin, Ayla Erduran and other distinguished artists.
• Turkish premiere of Fazıl Say’s Cello Sonata; performance subsequently released on DVD.
• International festival and venue appearances include Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Chamber Music Biennale, Cork Chamber Music Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Schloss Elmau.
TEACHING & MASTERCLASSES
• Amsterdam Chamber Music Biennale (Netherlands); Fresno Cello Festival (USA); American University of Sharjah (UAE).
• Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory; Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts; Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory; Anadolu University State Conservatory; Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory.
• Bosphorus Academy and Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School, Istanbul.
• Teaching areas: advanced cello repertoire and interpretation, orchestral excerpts and audition preparation, chamber music coaching, ensemble performance and professional stage practice.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
• 2014 Donizetti Classical Music Award – String Instrumentalist of the Year.
• 2010 ICMEC International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, New York – First Prize & Gold Medal with Borusan Quartet (final at Carnegie Hall; 88 ensembles).
• 2010 Andante Classical Music Awards – Chamber Music Ensemble of the Year with Borusan Quartet.
• Participant, “World of Peace” project (New York, 2017), a New York Philharmonic / United Nations initiative featuring Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis.
