He was born in 1970 into an Ankara literary family, and his parents were a key factor in developing his attraction toward classical music. This influence led him to start playing piano at the Ankara State Conservatory, where he also studied music composition. At age 17, he also won a scholarship to study under David Levine at Düsseldorf's Robert Schumann Institute, and he later continued his education at the Berlin Conservatory. In 1994, he took first place at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, launching his international career. He was 26 years old when he premiered his own composition at his concert, entitled Silk Road, in Boston. In 2001, his Nazım Oratorio, commissioned by the Turkish government in memory of the country's poet Nâzım Hikmet, was performed in Ankara. In 2004, he took part in a tour of Europe and North America with Maxim Vengerov, and the following year saw him writing film music for Swiss director Hans-Ulrich Schlumpf's movie Ultima Thule. Since 2008, at the request of the European Union, he has served as an ambassador of dialogue between cultures. He regularly receives invitations from the New York, Israel, Saint Petersburg and BBC philharmonics, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Wiener Symphoniker and the Orchestre National de France. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall and numerous prestigious festivals.

Presented by: Jakobi Koncert Kft.