GFA Open Stage

Çağıl Cansu Şanlıdağ

Çağıl Cansu Şanlıdağ began her first piano lessons at the age of 6 with Nergis Şakirzade. She continued her piano education with Prof. Aykut Yafe after successfully passing the entrance exams of Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory during elementary school.

In 2008, she relocated to Belgium after passing the entrance exams of Mons Royal Conservatory for her undergraduate studies. After graduating with distinction from the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Mons, she completed her master’s degree at Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel with Aleksandar Madzar. She furthered her postgraduate education in Vienna with Markus Hadulla at the University of Music and Performing Arts.

Throughout her career, she had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned musicians such as Michel Beroff, Mitsuko Shirai, Anne Sophie von Otter, Julius Drake, Dietrich Henschel, Gulsin Onay, Valerie Guillorit, Kemal Gekic, Francesco Libetta, Ilya Itin, and Axel Bauni.

She performed in prestigious European venues including Bozar in Brussels, Palazzo Adami Lami in Florence, Cité internationale des Arts in Paris, and Gesellschaft für Musiktheater in Vienna. She also took the stage at the International North Cyprus Music Festival. Orchestras she performed with as a soloist include I Musici Bruscelensis, the North Cyprus Presidential Orchestra, and the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra.

An upcoming chamber music album with Philippe Graffin is planned for release next year. Additionally, the artist is in the recording stage for her collaboration “Pavane” for her solo album.

Şanlıdağ has served as a mentor for participants in prestigious competitions such as the Belgium Cello Competition and the International Grumiaux Competition, contributing to many participants achieving first place. She is also a faculty member at Near East University.

İnci Yakar Birol

İnci Yakar Birol began her education in music with Arzu Temizer in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Conservatory and became the student of Babür Tongur in the Composition Department. She graduated from the Composition Department in 2001. In 2002 she won the Yamaha Foundation Piano competition and in the same year, she received Honorable mention in Eczacıbaşı National Composition competition. She was accepted to Hochschule für Musik Saar to continue her studies in the piano and completed her education with the courses she took from Prof. Thomas Duis and Prof.Fedele Antonicelli. Inci Yakar Birol also attended the courses of Prof. Eduard Brunner and Prof. Tatenik Mokatsian to study Chamber Music. In addition, she joined the master classes of Alessia Bax, Bruno Canino, and Marisa Somma. In 2006 she received her Concert Piano diploma and in 2009 she obtained her diploma as a Piano Soloist. During her education in Germany, she deserved a grant for education abroad from Eczacıbaşı, Bruno Elizabeth Meindle Stiftung award, Zonita Stiftung, and Richard Wagner Verband grants. Among her essential piano recordings Germany Schetzingen Mozart festival, SR-2Kultur Radio recordings, concerts in France Metz Arsenal as a soloist accompanied by Luxemburg Sinfonietta, concerts with Luxemburg Philarmony, and Germany Saarbrucken can be listed. In 2012 having received her associate professor title, she continues teaching in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts İstanbul Conservatory and she is continuing her career by giving various concerts.

Gülsin Onay

Gülsin Onay’s truly international career has spanned 80 countries across all continents, from Venezuela to Japan. She has given concerts in the major musical centres such as Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, National Gallery of Art and Miller Theater. Onay has performed as a soloist with such leading orchestras as Dresden Staatskapelle, Philharmonia Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony. Conductors with which she has performed include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Erich Bergel, Jorg Faerber, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Neeme Jarvi, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jose Serebrier and Stanislaw Wislocki.

Cambridge-based Turkish State Artist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, in high demand for her unique and sensuous Chopin, Saygun and Rachmaninoff interpretations. Onay was in 2007 honoured with the award of a State Medal by the Polish nation. She is also acknowledged worldwide as the finest interpreter of the music of A.Adnan Saygun, whose works feature prominently in her concerts and recordings, and whose 2nd Piano Concerto was dedicated to her