Saz Poet of my Country

To the Saz Poet of my Country

Klasik Keyifler @
Ankara International Music Festival

April 22nd, 2026 ??pm, xxxxx xxx, Ankara

The title for this program To the Saz Poet of My Country (Yurdunum Saz Şairine) is taken from Ekrem Zeki Ün’s dedication to his Turkish Quartet composed in the 1930’s. This fascinating string quartet was unfortunately not performed or recorded during his lifetime (as far as we know) but showcases a very early exploration with cultural fusion through his use of Turkish makams (microtonal modes) within western contrapuntal composition. Although single movements have been performed, this will be the world premiere of the complete string quartet. The additional portion of this program will feature 5 chamber works by young composers inspired by incorporating traditional folk elements with strings, saz and clarinet. These will include 2 new works commissioned for the Ankara Festival by Berfin Deniz Çarıkcıoğlu and Sabina Khujaeva Abay.

PROGRAM

Ekrem Zeki Ün, Turkish Quartet (1930's) "To the Saz Poet of my Country" 20'

Atakan Turaç, Seyyar Segâh, for Saz and String Quartet (2023) 7’

Atakan Turaç, two pieces for solo saz 5'

You know it too much (2022), Breeze (2023)

Sedat Özdemir, Obsessive Dreams, for Saz and Viola (2021) 5'

D. Ali Öztürk, Experiments on Sarı Yaylam , for Saz, Klarinet and two Violins (2022) 3'

Berfin Deniz Çarıkcıoğlu, for Klarinet, Saz and String Quartet (2026) 7'

(World Premiere)

Sabina Khujaeva Abay, : for Klarinet, Saz and String Quartet (2026) 7'

(World Premiere)

Atakan Turaç, saz
Yağızcan Keskin, klarinet

Ceren Türkmenoğlu, violin
İmge Tilif, violin
Laura Krentzman, viola
Gözde Yaşar, cello ‎

Berfin Deniz Çarıkçıoğlu

Born in 2001, Berfin Deniz is a composer and a music teacher who aspires to create cultural bridges with her music. She began her education at the Faculty of Music Education at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University,where she created her first works. She participated as a composer in the Du Vert A L’infini PluComp Pluralist Music Festival held in France, representing Turkey. She has participated as a composer and performer in important festivals and workshops such as Klasik Keyifler, The Journey of Sound, Houston Turkish Music Festival, Hoppa Project, and MGU Composition Department's Pluralist Music Festival. Her music has been performed and recorded at important venues in Turkey, such as the Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, and abroad, such as the Texas Asia Society Center in Houston in the USA, the Musee Baron Martin Art Museum in France, and the Eglise de Lavoncourt Church. She continues her master studies at MGU Composition Department as actively teaches music.

Sabina Khujaeva Abay

(b. 1988) is an Istanbul-based composer and pianist working across acoustic, electroacoustic, and spatial forms. Her music is characterized by rich timbral palettes, rhythmic dynamism, and a cinematic sensibility that evokes vibrant imagery and atmosphere.
A graduate of the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, she later completed her Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Composition at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) at Istanbul Technical University, where her research centers on multidimensional spatial composition through acoustic instruments.
Sabina started composing in 2005, and her works have been presented at international festivals, conferences, and masterclasses, and performed by leading ensembles including Hezarfen Ensemble, Schallfeld Ensemble, and Omnibus Ensemble. Notable works include Ardent Meditation (2018), featured on MIAM’s electroacoustic album (2019). Wings (2018), a spatial fixed-media piece presented at the Mixture Festival in Barcelona and the Sesin Yolculuğu Festival in Istanbul. Weepie and Luminescences (2019–2021), performed by Hezarfen Ensemble at international events. Astray (2021), composed for the 10th Klasik Keyifler International Cappadocia Music Festival’s “Re-Imagining the Brandenburg Concertos” project and later performed at Saruhan Caravanserai in Cappadocia and CRR Concert Hall in Istanbul.
In 2024, she released the original soundtrack album for the film Cadi, adapted from Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar’s novel and directed by Erman Bostan. Her recent projects include the soundtrack for director Mehmet Öner’s 2025 documentary film Never Again.

Atakan Turaç

Turkish performer and composer Atakan Turaç (b.2000) has taken part in Turkey's leading concert halls with his compositions aimed at creativity and extraordinary, especially his compositions for saz, and his performance of some works that stand out in the saz repertoire.
Turaç has performed in various national and international festivals and concert events. In 2021 he participated as a performer in the Hoppa Project 4th Turkish Music Festival in the United States under the artistic direction of Erberk Eryılmaz and Laura Krentzman. In 2022 he took part as both a performer and composer in the concert titled Traditional Music and Imagination, organized within the Hoppa Project, as well as in the 12th Hisarlı Ahmet Symposium.
In 2023 he performed in the world premiere of Bir Büyük Dünya: Aşık Veysel (A Great World: Aşık Veysel), composed by Erberk Eryılmaz to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Aşık Veysel’s death and the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. In the same year he also appeared as a performer in the Köroğlu Ballet, composed by Ceren Türkmenoğlu. In 2023 Turaç also participated as both a performer and composer in the PluComp Pluralistic Composition Festival in France and the 10th Klasik Keyifler Music Festival in İzmir, Turkey.
As a performer, Turaç has contributed to live broadcasts, radio recordings, and studio projects for Turkish State Radio (TRT). He has collaborated with ensembles including the Ankara Music and Fine Arts University New Music Ensemble, the Ankara Music and Fine Arts University Folk Instruments Orchestra, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Turkey, and the Bursa Regional State Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with musicians such as Ellen Jewett, Asım Kuzuluk, and Mahir Cetiz, and with conductors including Cemi’i Can Deliormanlı, Burak Onur Erdem, and İbrahim Yazıcı.
During his education, Turaç studied advanced şelpe techniques with Sinan Ayyıldız, traditional repertoire and advanced instrumental techniques with Oğuzhan Açıkgöz, Gökhan Ekim, and Gökhan Karakaya, and composition with Erberk Eryılmaz, Önder Özkoç, Shahab Paranj, and Reza Vali.
He studied at Adana Çukurova Fine Arts High School and Ege University State Conservatory, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University, Department of Instrument Education.

Durmuş Ali Öztürk,

Durmuş Ali Öztürk was born in 1992 in Denizli. He took his first steps in music under the guidance of his father, Sadettin Öztürk, a bağlama performer. In 1999, he began studying bağlama at the Denizli Conservatory. In 2006, he was accepted to Denizli Hakkı Dereköylü Anatolian Fine Arts High School, where he studied piano alongside bağlama. Throughout his high school years, he participated in numerous concerts and events and received awards in various competitions.

In 2010, he was admitted to the Composition Department of Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory. There he had the opportunity to work with distinguished faculty members including Nail Yavuzoğlu in harmony, Oğuzhan Balcı in composition, Ertuğrul Sevsay in orchestration, and Eray Altınbüken in music theory. During his undergraduate years, he also received bağlama instruction from Arif Sağ and Erdal Erzincan within the conservatory's master class program. He completed his undergraduate degree in June 2016.

For his postgraduate studies, Öztürk completed a master's thesis titled "An Examination of Solo Instrumental Works Written for Saz (Bağlama) in Terms of Compositional Strategies" in the Department of Music Sciences at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University, and a doctoral thesis in the Fine Arts proficiency program titled "Musical Analysis and Transcription of Slow Zeybeks Performed with Davul-Zurna: The Case of Saadettin Doğan" at the same university.

Throughout his artistic career, he has performed on stage alongside distinguished artists such as Fahir Atakoğlu and Leman Sam, and has collaborated with Cem Öget and Ramiz Bayraktar on television and film scores. He has also appeared as a soloist with prestigious ensembles including the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and the Bursa Regional State Symphony Orchestra (BBDSO). Taking part in numerous album, single, television, and film projects as both arranger and performer, he has played an active role in a wide range of musical productions, bringing together the bağlama and MIDI keyboard technologies.

Currently continuing his stage and studio work, he also pursues his academic career at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University.

Sedat Özdemir

Composer and pianist Sedat Özdemir (1998, Eskişehir). One of his primary goals as a composer is to blend the traditional music of his native geography with his own musical expertise and creativity, echoing the traces of our traditional music in the present day while never compromising on innovation and a progressive perspective.

Writing music for various instruments and ensembles, most of Özdemir’s works have been performed and recorded by the MGÜ New Music Ensemble. In addition to his identity as a composer, he has performed in many concerts and recitals as a pianist since 2009. He aims to produce an album consisting entirely of his own piano music and to perform it in different concert halls across various cities.

He has taught piano, solfège, and theory at many music academies and privately, and currently continues to teach at a music academy. He has participated in masterclasses led by prominent figures such as Şevki Karayel, Hüseyin Sermet, Metin Ülkü, Hülya Tarcan, Seçil Akdil, Gülnara Aziz, and Gülsin Onay. He has studied and collaborated with notable names such as Nazile Adıgüzelzade, Toros Can, Eser Öykü Dede, Oytun Eren, Metin Ülkü, Ozan Tunca, Hülya Tarcan, Erdem Çöloğlu, Erberk Eryılmaz, Hakkı Alper Maral, İsmet Karadeniz, Orhan Veli Özbayrak, and Önder Özkoç on various subjects. Özdemir received his piano training at Anadolu University State Conservatory and Mimar Sinan University State Conservatory. He began his composition studies in 2021 at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University, Department of Composition and Orchestral Conducting, and completed his undergraduate education in 2025. He is currently pursuing his graduate studies in the Composition Department of Anadolu University State Conservatory.

To the Saz Poet of my Country

Klasik Keyifler @ Ankara International Music Festival

Klasik Keyifler @
Ankara International Music Festival