1967 Born in Mersin, Turkey.
1971 Moved to Istanbul with his family.
1980-85 Took private piano lessons from Hülya Saydam.
1984 Became a composition student at Mimar Sinan University State Conservatory, Istanbul. Studied harmony and counterpoint with Erçivan Saydam, fugue, composition and modal music with Adnan Saygun, history of thought and aesthetics with Afşar Timuçin.
1991 Received his bachelor’s degree, appointed as an instructor in the Theory Division of the same institution.
1994 Received his Master’s degree in composition at MSU State Conservatory, studying with Ilhan Usmanbaş.
1994-96 Made further studies (Qualification in Arts) with Usmanbaş in the same institution.
1996 Moved to Boston, leaving his final studies unfinished.
1996-99 Studied with Lukas Foss and Marjorie Merryman at Boston University, received a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) degree in composition.
1999 Returned to Turkey, began to teach in the Composition Division of MSU State Conservatory.
2001 Associate professor of composition.
2004-09 Chair of Composition Division (Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory).
2005-08 International Relations Coordinator of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory.
2006 Initiated Young Composers Festival, Sesin Yolculuğu (“Journey of Sound”) in Istanbul; Instructor in Ayvalık International Music Academy’s (AIMA) composition workshop.
2009 Professor of composition.
2009-12 Chair of Composition and Orchestral Conducting Program (MSFAU Istanbul State Conservatory).
2010 Instructor in a composition workshop (“Klasik Keyifler”) in Cappadocia, Turkey.
2010-19 Coordinator of Sesin Yolculuğu (“Journey of Sound”) – Young Composers Festival.
2011 Composer in residence with the Philharmoniker Hamburg Kammerensemble.
2012 Jury member in the Ninth International Composition Competition “Città di Udine” and AIMA Composition Competition. Co-author of Müzikte Alımlama (Hermeneutics in Music), received Donizetti 2013 – Book of the Year Prize.
2013 Jury member in the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation Composition Competition.
2014-17 Head of Music Department (MSFAU Istanbul State Conservatory).
2017 Jury member in the Istanbul University State Conservatory National Composition Competition.
2018-19 Jury member in the Women Stars of Tomorrow support fund of TSKB & Istanbul Music Festival.
2019 Jury member in the Mustafa Kemal Atatürk International Composition Competition of the Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra.
2019-22 Jury member in the National Composition Competition of Kadıköy Municipality Süreyya Opera House.
2023 Jury member in the Choral Composition Competition of the IFCM (International Federation for Choral Music), National Composition Competition of Kadıköy Municipality Süreyya Opera House, and the 25th Anniversary Composition Award of AIMA (Ayvalık International Music Academy).
2024 Guest composer in Izmir New Music Days.
prizes
BESOM Composition Prize (Turkey, 2022)
Istanbul Music Festival Honorary Award (2022)
Donizetti 2011 – Composer of the Year Prize (Turkey)
Arioso Musica Domani International Composition Prize, 1st prize (Italy-USA, 2010)
Sofia 2010 International Composition Competition, 1st prize (Sofia, 2010)
Deutsche Welle Composition Prize (Cologne, 2002)
The BMW musica viva Composition Prize, 2nd prize (Munich, 1998)
2nd Nejat Eczacıbaşı National Composition Competition, shared 1st prize (Izmir, 1998)
Malloy Miller Memorial Composition Prize (Boston University, 1997)
commissions
World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 (2022, I’m Listening to Istanbul)
Presidential Symphony Orchestra (2020, Plural)
Gedik ART (2020, “Kalender” [Three Images , No. 1])
Bursa Nilüfer Municipality (2018, Arkam Sensin Kalam Sensin Dağlar Hey)
Istanbul Music Festival (2016, Ludus Modalis)
Borusan Culture and Arts (2012, String Quartet)
Hotel Louis C. Jacob und der Philharmoniker Hamburg (2011, Uzun Hava)
Association for the Art of the Harp and Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency (2010, Pigeons)
Greek Composer’s Union (2005, Taqsim)
Deutsche Welle (2002, Portamento lento)
works performed by
orchestras*: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Turkish National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Bursa Regional State Symphony Orchestra
ensembles*: Members of the Moldavian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Gedik Philharmonic Orchestra and Antalya State Symphony Orchestra, Moskva New Music Ensemble, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 10:10 Ensemble, Philharmoniker Hamburg Kammerensemble, Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra, Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra, TEV Turkiye Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Academic Başkent, Yaşar University Chamber Orchestra, ALEA III, Das Neue Ensemble, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Borusan Quartet, Hezarfen Ensemble, Diskant Contemporary Music Ensemble, The Divan Consort, The MIAM New Music Ensemble, Eastman School of Music Percussion Ensemble, Boston University Percussion Ensemble, Duo Parhélies, Boulanger Trio, Bosphorus Trio, Terra Trio, Trio Arte, Trio Likya, Bilkent Su Trio, Nova Trio, Interensemble Trio and the piano trios of Ludus Ensemble, Musica QuLacoza, InterText Ensemble, Storstrøms Kammerensemble and Orchestrutopica
conductors*: Lucas Vis, Gunther Schuller, Gürer Aykal, Cem Mansur, Cemi’i Can Deliorman, Robin Ticciati, Antonio Pirolli, Orhun Orhon, Ahmet Altınel, Ernst Kovacic, Plamen Djouroff, Theodore Antoniou, Dmitri Goya, Alexandre Vinogradov, Clark Rundell
choral conductors: Burak Onur Erdem, Deanna Joseph, Yuval Weinberg
choirs: State Choir Turkey, Georgia State University Singers, Rezonans
instrumentalists* piano: Metin Ülkü, Birsen Ulucan, Hande Dalkılıç, Herbert Schuch, Gülru Ensari, Ece Demirci, Türev Berki, Ayça Aytuğ, Burcu Aktaş Urgun, Şevki Karayel, Seda Röder, Elif Önal, Özgür Tuncer, Müge Hendekli, Can Okan, Elif Gökçe Tuğrul, Emine Serdaroğlu, Çağdaş Özkan, Pınar Çelik Warsi, Tuğçe Özcivan, Satoko Inoue, Tomoko Mukaiyama, Konstantinos Papadakis / harp: Şirin Pancaroğlu / violin: Özcan Ulucan, Cihat Aşkın, Hande Özyürek, Ayşen Ulucan, Gamze Erengönül, Venetia Jollands, Jack Glatzer, Ellen Jewett, Sevil Ulucan, Önder Baloğlu, Erman Türkili, Naz İrem Türkmen, Banu Selin Aşan, Belemir Baran / viola: Ruşen Güneş / cello: Adrian Brendel, Gregory Hesselink, Dilbağ Tokay, Andreas Lend, Giancarlo Trimboli, Dorukhan Doruk, Nil Kocamangil, Yiğit Ülgen, Can Kehri, Ozan Tunca, Urška Horvat, Alexander Somov, Richárd Rózsa, Erman İmayhan, Rahşan Apay, Seren Karabey / double bass: Onur Özkaya, Shawn Conley / flute: Aslıhan And, Ayça Çetin / clarinet: Armand Angster, Michael Collins, Ralph Lane, Sarah Jaegers, Alyssa Powell, Ebru Mine Sonakın, Arda Tuncer, Cihangir Nuvasil
works performed in
festivals / concert series*
3rd International New Music Festival (1993, Ankara), International Gaudeamus Music Week, 1995 (Amsterdam), Berlin-Istanbul Cultural Encounters (1998, Berlin), Istanbul Music Festival 2 (1998), musica viva (Bavarian Radio’s concert series of contemporary music; 1999, Munich), Composers Rostrum (2000, Amsterdam), ECUME meetings (2001, Istanbul), Beethovenfest (2002, Bonn), International Eskişehir Music Festival (2003, 2008), Mediterranean Contemporary Music Days (2003, Istanbul), Istanbul Music Festival (2004), Türkfest (2004, London), Sarkis: A Milestone [exhibition] (2005, Istanbul), concert series of ALEA III (2006, Boston) and the Greek Composer’s Union (2006, Athens), Istanbul Bilgi University New Music Concert Series (2007), La Turchia e le “turcherie” (2009, Lucca), Saison de la Turquie en France (2010, Strasbourg), Music Documents concert series (2010, Tokyo), Mersin International Music Festival (2010), Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (2011, Hamburg), Grumo Festival (2011, Grumo Appula), Synthermia International Contemporary Music Festival (2012, Thessaloniki), Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival (2013, Baku), International Northern Cyprus Music Festival (2013, Kyrenia), ISCM World Music Days (2014, Wrocław), Tallinn Chamber Music Festival (2015), Istanbul Music Festival (2013, 2016, 2017, 2021), “Young Euro Classic” Festival (2017, Berlin), Kammermusikfest Lockenhaus (2018), Bodrum Music Festival (2018), International Cappadocia Music Festival (2019), AIMA Music Festival (2021, Ayvalık), Kissinger Sommer (2021), Istanbul Philharmonic Society Classical Music Festival (2023), World Symposium on Choral Music (2023, Istanbul), Mattseer Diabelli Sommer (2024, Mattsee), AIMA Music Festival (2024, Ayvalık), Izmir New Music Days (2024)
countries
Moldavia, Turkey, Netherlands, USA, Germany, England, Australia, Morocco, Greece, Austria, Poland, Italy, Denmark, France, Portugal, Japan, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Algeria, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, Brazil, Malta, Colombia, Serbia, Czech Republic, India, Luxembourg, Russia, Romania
* a selection