Music from

WHERE THE SUN RISES

Where I am from, Anatolia, derives its name from the Greek word 'anatolé', which means ‘where the sun rises’. This is where my Turkish Classical Music projects take inspiration from. The core values of these projects are;

Preserving traditional roots – I believe traditional roots are the basis of every art form. Throughout history and among different cultures the traditions have been the core point where art forms take their inspiration from and flourish from. Therefore, in my projects I aim to derive from these roots and exhibit my art within an authentic and traditional context. 

Cultural interconnections – The subtle crossing points between cultures and the connections they carry has always fascinated me. Coming from a land which is the convergence zone of so many cultures and traditions, I always aim to acknowledge this and engage it in my art. 

Shedding light to history – There is always more than what is already out there, and this applies to music as well. Therefore, in my projects I aim to exhibit the unknown or underplayed repertoire and bring it together with the audience. 

Connecting with the audience – For me a performance is not complete without inviting the audience into the world of the music I present. Through providing information about the context and giving entry points to relate to, I’m able to interact and connect with my audiences.

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Information on some previous performances can be found below. Recordings from previous concerts are under the tab Media/Turkish Music. 

Turkish Ottoman Women Composers

500 year old Ottoman music tradition owes a lot to the contribution of women composers, performers and teachers of Turkish music. Oldest documentations and illustrations which have survived until now of women performing music are from the 16th century. Studying musical activities of Ottoman women help us both understand the Ottoman tradition and the place of women in the music of modern Turkish society

This performance includes works of numerous influential women composers dating from 17th century to present, some of which are Dilhayat Kalfa, Leyla Saz, Kevser Hanim, Mehves Hanim, Esma Sultan, Reftar Kalfa, Gevheri Osmanoglu, Neveser Kokdes...

Hidden Melodies

In the early 19th century Constantinople and its exquisite music scene, Hampartsum Limondjian, an Ottoman-Armenian musician, developed a new music notation system and served the music world greatly by doing so. The use of his notation system by musicians for over two centuries helped thousands of musical works survive to this day.

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Turkish Classical Music is a unique genre of music that carries a deep history within itself, nurtured with the contribution of numerous musicians from different nationalities and cultures throughout the centuries. This convergence zone is inherent of many works of art and we are aiming to share it with the world and touch on the interconnectedness of these cultures. In this Hamparsum project, with the contribution of musicologist Tulin Degirmenci who specializes on Hamparsum notation, we are aiming to shed light on history and bring these artworks to life, from the pages of the manuscripts.

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The transcription and performance of the unknown works from these manuscripts will be a service to this culture and music, as well as connecting them with an audience that is not familiar with it, by introducing the listeners to this music style and its ethnic instruments. The pre-concert talk will provide information about the structure of the music and historical aspects of the era and will help the audience perceive the music in a better way.

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East of the Sun West of the Moon

East of the Sun, West of the Moon brings two different worlds of music together - Turkish classical music and Western classical music. Focusing on the 17th-18th centuries, the ensemble will perform works from both traditions on eastern and western instruments. The unique timbre of the instruments will bring out the beautiful harmony of the interconnections these two musical traditions carry.

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The performance will begin with a pre-concert talk on the musical traditions and will be followed by a reception where the performers will meet the audience.

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Works of Rameau, Kantemir, Lully, Vierdanck, Dilhayat Kalfa, Itri and more will be presented at the performance, connected with the taksim and improvisations of the musicians.