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Biography :
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Born in Istanbul, the artist was admitted to the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Turkish Music State Conservatory, Department of Fundamental Sciences, Three-String Classical Kemenche Program in 1983 with first place honors. She successfully completed her undergraduate studies in 1987 under the mentorship of Ihsan Özgen. In the same year, upon her teacher's suggestion, she began teaching Three-String Classical Kemenche courses at ITU. Additionally, she enrolled in the Master’s Program in Turkish Art Music at ITU's Social Sciences Institute and graduated with high honors in 1989. As a result of her success, she was admitted to the PhD (Artistic Competence) Program in Turkish Art Music at the same institute without an entrance exam. That same year, she passed the exam for a research assistant position at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory. After successfully completing her doctoral studies, she was appointed as an artist-lecturer at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory in 1994. During her student years, her successful academic performance earned her a scholarship from the Kubbealtı Academy and Culture Foundation, where she also participated as a classical kemenche artist in their concert activities. During her education, while continuing her Three-String Classical Kemenche training with Ihsan Özgen, she began studying the Four-String Classical Kemenche with Cüneyd Orhon during her Master's and PhD programs. Following Orhon’s suggestion, she also began teaching Four-String Classical Kemenche courses at ITU in 2000. In addition to her kemenche courses, she also taught Turkish Art Music solfege and theory, repertoire, and ensemble courses at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory. Furthermore, she has been the conductor of the LALEZAR Classical Turkish Music Ensemble, which she founded with her students in 2000. During this period, she was appointed Head of the Stringed Instruments Department, contributing to the administration of the institution. Since her student years, the artist has performed as a classical kemenche player in numerous domestic and international tours and concerts with various music ensembles, including the Boğaziçi Orchestra, Là Edri Sufism Music Ensemble, and Istanbul Classical Turkish Music Orchestra. She has also performed alongside notable Turkish musicians such as Kani Karaca, Erol Deran, Mutlu Torun, Ihsan Özgen, Fuat Türkelman, Ümit Gürelman, Hurşit Ungay, and Nevzat Sümer. She has contributed to their cassette, CD, DVD, and digital music platform recordings. In addition, she has appeared on various TV channels and radio programs, performing solo and in groups to promote the classical kemenche. She has been invited to participate in numerous conferences, presentations, seminars, panels, and music events organized by universities and other institutions. The artist’s articles, book chapters, and books on classical kemenche and Turkish art music have been published in national and international academic journals. In recognition of her achievements in music, she was awarded the "Most Successful Musician of the Year" award by the Rotary Club in 2016. In 2023, she was appointed Associate Professor by the Higher Education Council (YÖK). Currently, the artist continues her career as an academician, lecturer, classical kemenche performer, and conductor. She is also the mother of a daughter who, like her, is a musician (a violinist).
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