Anastasopoulos Pantelis
He was born in Athens in 1966 and comes from Dorvitsa in Nafpaktia. He studied at the N. Skalkotas Conservatory under Lycurgos Angelopoulos and in 1992 he received his diploma in Byzantine music with honors. He started playing the cannon with Thanasis Stergios and much later he studied with Manolis Karpathios. Since then he has been seriously involved in the traditional music of our country. At the same time he attended special seminars for cannonball, and eastern music by soloists Khalil Karaduman, Goksel Baktagir and Imane Homsy. She was a member of the Greek Byzantine Choir , and the Byzantine Choir of Ag. Irini (Aeolou ) under the direction of Mr. Lykourgos Angelopoulos, (1988-1993). She is a graduate of harmony specialist from the Conservatory Skalota (Athens 1993) ,counterpoint and flight from the Corelli Conservatory (Rhodes, 2005-07). Since 1994 he has been an appointed music teacher in Rhodes and since 1996 until today he teaches at the Music School of Rhodes mainly the Greek Traditional Music and also cannon music. With the Byzantine choir and the traditional orchestra of the Music School of Rhodes, which he was in charge of (1996-2004), he has recorded hymns and traditional songs which have been published on the digital CDs "Arki Lipsoi and Agathonisi" (1998), "Balkan voices" (1998), "Odontes and Psallontes" (2004 & 2005). He has been a professor of Byzantine Music at the Melantheion Conservatory of Rhodes since 1996, while he is also the founder and choirmaster of the male Byzantine choir, "Rhodon the Amaranton" and principal cantor at the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, in the city of Rhodes. As principal cellist he has published a digital album in which he sings hymns from the sequence of the Ascension of the Lord. Since 1996 until today, he has organized a music group that studies and performs Greek folk songs mainly from the area of Asia Minor and the Dodecanese. With this group, he participates in the cultural life of the area, through choirs, events and festivals where he plays the cannon and performs Greek songs. He orchestrated and played Middle Asian tunes and songs in his album "If you are beautiful what use are you" (2006), while he orchestrated the digital album of K. Biparamis "From Bosporus to the White Sea" (2004), in which he participated both as a performer and as an instrumentalist. He has collaborated in 2005 with Mr. Panagiotis Mylonas in the broadcasts of E.T.1 "Music Tradition" as well as with Stefanos Vassiliadis in the play "Argo Pasimelousa Nisos Kallisti" (Rhodes 2002) as a soloist on the cannon and the song.
Varveris Stelios
He was born in Piraeus in 1967. At a young age he was involved with bouzouki and our folk music. But soon his interest turned to eastern music, both spoken and traditional. He studied oud and eastern music theory with Christos Tsiamoulis, and obtained a diploma in Byzantine music with the principal cellist Nikos Sotiriou. He collaborates with various groups and in 2000, together with Stefanos Agiopoulos, they create the "Mismagies" (Stelios Varveris oud, Stefanos Agiopoulos percussion, Loukia Konstantatou cannon, Eleni Kallimopoulou polite lyre, Sylvia Koutrouli ney), an ensemble that deals with the study and performance of scholarly eastern music. It has collaborated in concerts and in discography with various artists such as Eleni Vitali, Giorgos Stavrianos, Kostas Pavlidis, Lena Alkaiou, Morpho Tsaireli, Kostas Mantzios, Mary Esper, Manolis Karpathios, etc. He teaches oud at the Alimos Music High School, at the Folk Instruments Museum of Phoebus Anoyianakis, at the Argyroupolis Municipal Conservatory, at the Philippos Nakas Conservatory, at the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Nice and at the Echotropio Music School. Since 2006 he has been active with the musical ensemble Caravan (Stelios Varveris oud, Stefanos Agiopoulos percussion, Andreas Skandalos cannon, Thodoris Koouelis double bass, Sotiris Margonis violin) playing with them classical and more contemporary repertoire such as Night Ark, Simon Shaheen, Resat Aysu etc.
Georgopoulos Thodoris
He was born in September 1968 in Kato Lavdani of the province of Pogoni From a very young age he had his first musical impulses from the gatherings at his parents' parties and at the local festivals of the region where the music of Epirus dominated. These stimuli were decisive for his future, making him love music and engage in the art of clarinet playing which made him develop into an accomplished virtuoso musician. He started by carving his first flute on his own to continue to Athena where he grew up learning the clarinet. He was thirteen years old when his father bought his first clarinet after a strong desire and insistence. At the beginning he learns on his own based on his hearing and the instinct of his fountain of talent, while later he takes lessons next to musicians of the Haligiannis family from Parakalamos Ioannina, mainly during the summers when he goes to the village. Shortly afterwards he continued his lessons with the leading clarinetists Vassilis Soukas and Giorgos Brahopoulos. His artistic and professional career starts very quickly at the age of sixteen playing in all kinds of social events (weddings, baptisms, festivals) as well as with dance groups. At nineteen he is chosen by the Dora Stratou theatre participating in the orchestra for the needs of the performances playing for 4 years music from all over Greece. Since then he has collaborated with many associations, bodies, Municipal Spiritual Centres and cultural institutions of the Greek folk tradition in Greece and abroad where he has travelled many times. Apart from classical harmony she studies Byzantine music at the school of Simonos Karas (1990). But his musical concerns do not stop only at the clarinet and Greek music, so he continues his search by studying Kaval at the Academy of Plovdiv in Bulgaria, coming in contact with great representatives of Bulgarian music. Musicians such as Petar Raltsev , Matio Dobrev Ivo Papazov as well as his Kaval teachers Georgi Zeliaskov and Valeri Marinov. He also meets Angel Gadzev who plays Gadoylka and collaborates with him in Greece in concerts and recordings. Thus he expands his horizon by playing Balkan music, thus expressing with free improvisation sounds and musical forms beyond the narrow national borders, based on emotion. All this study has resulted in the formation of an artist with an opinion and attitude towards musical events, always respecting the merit of Greek folk music, but with an attitude that takes things a bit further, arguing that this genre is alive since there are musicians who serve it today, thus avoiding museum approaches that put things on the shelf. For this purpose he has created his own multi-member orchestra and has participated in dozens of folk and ethnic music festivals around the world. He also collaborates with various orchestras in all kinds of activities as a soloist. He has occasionally collaborated with musicians and singers from all over the Greek music scene such as Karyophyllis Doitsidis , Chronis Aedonidis , Petro-Louka Chalkias , Ross Daily Eleni Tsaligopoulou , Anastasia Moutsatsou , Eleni Dimou , Glykeria , George Dalara , Dionysis Savvopoulos , Orchestra of Colours with great singers such as Lycurgos Angelopoulos , Theo Vasilikos , Theo Vassiliou and others. He is also for many years a permanent collaborator of Domna Samiou in concerts and recordings. He collaborated for many years with the accordion virtuoso Demos Polymeris, making two albums together on the Balkan tradition. NORTH THRAKE (EL.KE.LAM edition) 1994 , BALKANIAN COLOURS (ANODOS edition) 1997.
Dorbarakis Stefanos
Stefanos Dorbarakis was born in Athens. She graduated from the National Kapodistrian University of Athens in the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education. She started to be involved in music at the age of 8, taking lessons in classical piano and later electric harmonium. At the age of 15 she came into contact for the first time with traditional music and specifically with the cannon where she started lessons next to renowned teachers such as M.Karpathios and P.Dimitrakopoulos, while she then attended special music seminars next to H.Karaduman, S.Sinopoulos and pianist M.Alexiou. Since 2009 he has been a graduate of Byzantine Music with a grade of "A" unanimously. In recent years he has been participating in various traditional and art music bands and various Byzantine music choirs in Greece and abroad. She has collaborated with Chr.Aedonidis, L.Chalkias, Chr.Tsiamoulis, S.Sinopoulos, K.Papadopoulou, K.Koulia, R.Tomurjuk Gul, the orchestra "Mikis Theodorakis" and other renowned artists in Greece and abroad. From 2008 until 2011 he was a pianist in the children's choir of St. Basil of Piraeus, having participated in several events. At the same time he teaches cannon to young students and adults and also participates in music shows on television and radio. Finally, he has taken part in several recordings playing the cannon or singing Byzantine hymns together with choirs.
Zampas Michael
He was born in May 1982 in Preveza, where he grew up. From a very young age he started his musical studies at the Municipal Conservatory of Preveza in classical violin and theory. At the same time, from the age of nine he was involved in Byzantine music and traditional singing. In 1999 he won the 1st Panhellenic Prize in the student competitions of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Byzantine music and folk singing. With his entry to the Theology Department of the University of Athens, he began his systematic involvement with Greek traditional music. He has studied various traditional instruments with renowned musicians of traditional music such as: violin with Achilleas Chalkias, Lazaros Efthymiou, lute with Christos Zotos, santouri with Dimitris Kofteros and cannon with Manolis Karpathios. In 2001 he received his diploma in byzantine music from the Conservatory "Nikos Skalkotas" with teacher Lykourgos Angelopoulos. During the period 2001-2003 he was a regular member of the Greek Byzantine Choir with Lykourgos Angelopoulos as choirmaster and participated in the choir's various performances in Greece and abroad. She was involved in the interpretation of polyphonic singing and was a member of the polyphonic ensemble "Haonia" during the period 2001-2005, participating in festivals in Greece and abroad. He also taught polyphonic singing at the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments "Phoebus Anogiannakis" in Plaka. Since 2004 until today she has been working permanently with Thodoris Georgopoulos. He is also a permanent collaborator of Domna Samiou. He participates as a performer in the following indicative recordings: VOICES OF PETRA 1,2 (produced by Apiros), IF I AM OLD WHAT USES (produced by Kathrefitis), OF NATURE AND OF ASH (produced by Domna Samiou), HISTORICAL - CLEPTIC SONGS (produced by Domna Samiou), FROM CONNITIS (produced by Nikos Filippidis), DYTIKI ANATOLI (produced by Kathrefitis). He has taken part in numerous performances and social events and has collaborated with many associations and cultural institutions throughout Greece. Finally, since 2005 he is teacher and artistic director of the choir of traditional music of the Municipal Conservatory of Preveza.
Koutsaggelidis Manos
Manos Koutsaggelidis was born in Komotini in 1976 to parents who were refugees from Eastern Thrace and came to Greece. His involvement with music began at the age of eight, singing and learning the accordion. At the age of eleven he found himself in Crete. There, the young Manos began the study of Byzantine music, which he continued two years later at the Metropolitan School of Byzantine Music in Komotini. During this time, Manos met Chronis Aedonidis and gained a lot of information about the tradition of his region. At the same time, he begins folklore research in the villages of Thrace. At the age of fourteen he started a paper for the secondary school he was attending on the history of Thrace, as well as a dissertation on the minority theme of Constantinople, Imbros and Tenedos. Around the age of fifteen he met the band "The Lalitades" in Komotini, where he began his professional career with them and became acquainted with the whole of Northern Greece. At the same time, he now collaborates professionally with Chronis Aedonidis and other local musicians. At the same time he starts to play the cavalier (the ancient plagiarist) and the recorder, while at the age of sixteen he learns to play the cannon on his own, which he mastered to the fullest within a year. At the age of seventeen, we find him teaching traditional music and instruments at the Conservatory of Alexandroupolis, while a year later he becomes a member of the traditional music band of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, where he gives many remarkable concerts. There, he met the two great singers of Macedonia, Nitsa Tsitra and Xanthippe Karathanasi, as well as Nikos Avagiannos, with whom he appears in many events and radio and television broadcasts. The young artist's contribution has been noticed by many institutions, which have awarded him with honours, such as the General Staff of the Army (during his service), which awarded him the "Award of Service to the Homeland", the Democritus University of Thrace, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece, as well as dozens of institutions, municipalities and associations throughout Greece. Coming to Athens Manos Koutsaggelidis enters dynamically into the recording industry since in a short period of time he participates in the recording of dozens of albums of folk, art and popular singing with successful performers. Apart from his musical activities, he has been involved in hydrobiology and fish farming as well as in the research and protection of freshwater habitats (lakes and rivers) of Thrace. Manos Koutsaggelidis is definitely a national asset, who due to his knowledge, passion and age will offer a lot to our national music and our country in general.
Lampropoulou Sofia
Sophia Lampropoulou received a diploma in Byzantine music with Spyros Pavlakis as her teacher and studied piano with Nelly Semitrokolos, classical percussion with Mr. Vorisis and Mr. Thodorakos and traditional percussion with V. Karipi. From September 2003 until November 2005 he lived in Istanbul where he took lessons in technique and eastern theory - repertoire (maqam) from very important masters of the instrument such as: Ahmet Meter, Hakan Gugor on the cannon as well as Omer Erdogdular, Necati Celik on theory. He has participated in concerts and recordings of traditional, art music and alternative music in Greece and abroad with artists such as: D. Samiou, Ch. D.D., H. Aedonidis, H. Karamanlis, Interstellar Overdrive, Rob Laine, Marta Sebestyen, Kalman Balong, Victroria Herenzar, Ross Daly, Bakllake Sissoko, Mamak Khadem, Efrin Lopez, Niyazi Sayin, Omer Erdogdular, Derya Turkan, Ahmet Erdogdular, Necati Celik, Celatletin Celik, Ulas Ozdemir, Mehnet Gureli, Lamia Bedioui, K. Demuleas, K. Vucinas, Th. Moraitis, K. Castanas.
Saleas Vasilis
Vassilis Saleas was born in 1958 in Messolonghi. A year later his family moved to Athens in search of a better life and with them, of course, Vassilis. Growing up in a family of musicians, his involvement with music since his childhood was a natural consequence. His father Nicholas and his uncle Vassilis were his first clarinet teachers. At only nine years old he is able to play the clarinet and at the age of eleven he is already performing in an entertainment venue in Patras. His first recording project is a 45 record, which he makes at the age of 14.This was followed by his participation in recordings of folk songs with Alekos Dimou, Sophia Kollitiri and Effie Georgakopoulou.The passing of time and his constant study of the clarinet place him among the greatest Greek soloists. Important moments in his career have been his collaborations with Dionysis Savvopoulos on the album: "Tabazakia Exo" and of course with Stamatis Spanoudakis on the soundtrack of the film: "Petrina Chronia", as well as on albums: "Alexandros" and "Here Something Happens". He has collaborated with the most acclaimed Greek artists and is both loved and accepted by music experts internationally. His personal discography also includes the albums: "Dance With Vasilis Saleas" 1986 and "The Breath of Heaven" 1993. In 1995 he signed an exclusive contract with Fm Records. The beginning of this collaboration is his coexistence with the great Greek composer Vangelis Papathanasios, released in 1996. In recent years he has performed with great success in the following festivals in Greece: Kassandra, Halkidiki, Sunny, Castro Rio, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Herodeion, Thessaloniki Beach, Olympus Festival and Palais des Sports. He has also performed in many festivals abroad: Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Munich, Sydney, New York, Manhattan, Toronto, Dubai, Bahrain, Cannes, culminating in the concert he gave on 31 March 2001 at the Istanbul Concert Hall.
Tsiamoulis Christos
He was born in Athens in 1961. He studied guitar with Lisa Zoi and theory at the National Conservatory of Athens. He then obtained a diploma in Byzantine music with Lycurgos Angelopoulos from the Scalkotas Conservatory. Since 1980, on the occasion of his acquaintance with the Simon Karras Association, he turned to the study of Greek traditional music and the learning of traditional instruments such as the oud, the political and the land lute, the sazis, the tambouras and the tambouras with bow, the political and the Cretan lyre, the Cappadocian kemanes, the nei, the cavalier, the recorder, etc. With the "DYNAMES OF THE AEGEAN" in 1985 he started a creative course on tradition and the musical trends of contemporary singing. Along with the release of three CDs, DYNAMES OF THE AEGEAN 1985, Ichos B 1985 [EMI] and Anatoliko Window 1989 [MBI], the band gave concerts in Greece, Europe, America and Australia until 1991 when their collaboration ended. They collaborated with many musicians, singers and composers of the older and the new generation. G. Markopoulos, N. Xydakis, N. Mamagakis, G. Hadjinassios, D. Marangopoulos, N. Kipourgos, M. Faradouri, El. Arvanitaki, S. Giannatu, Liz. Kalimeri, M. Lidakis, Alk. Ioannidis, Il. Liougos, S. Papazoglou, K. Papadopoulou, K. Koulia, G. Haroulis, D. Basis, and G. Nega. He also collaborated with many important representatives of traditional music: (Simon Karras, Chr. Simon K. K. K. K., H. Aedonidis, D. Samiou, N. Saragoudas, Mario, Psarantonis, M. Tzouganakis, G. Amarantidis, M. Kaliontzidis), and with all the younger virtuosos of the new generation. He also contributed to the creation of the "Estudiantina" where he sang and participated in the orchestra from its very first steps. After the end of the Aegean Forces he continued his personal career which includes albums, mainly containing his own compositions as well as arrangements of traditional songs. In his compositions, the processing of contemporary elements with motifs of traditional and folk Greek music and the tradition of the Eastern Mediterranean in general is distinguished. Since 1985 he has been teaching traditional instruments in conservatories and music schools: Peristeri Cultural Centre, Goulandris-Horn Foundation, Scalkotas Conservatory, Perissos Music School, Haidari Music High School, Museum of Folk Instruments, Municipal Conservatory of Patras). In 2003 he started a collaboration with the Athens Conservatory, creating a Greek music department where all traditional instruments and Greek dances are taught. Within the framework of this department she teaches the theory of Greek music, singing, oud, history of Byzantine and traditional music, as well as the theoretical course "Sound and Makam" within the framework of the postgraduate course of Byzantine music. Since 2004 he teaches tamboura at the Department of Musicology of the University of Athens. He has given many seminars throughout Greece on Greek traditional music and the practice of the art of improvisation on makam. As a virtuoso on the oud he participated in the first meeting of lute players in 1990 at Pallas, organized by Lambros Liavas, and in the International Meeting for lute players that took place in 2005 at the Athens Concert Hall, co-organized by "En Chordais". As a ney virtuoso he played at the Herodou Atticus Conservatory alongside Suleiman Ergunier in the framework of a meeting between Greeks and Turks and participated in a concert of Turkish religious music at the Kos Muzim in the framework of the Istanbul Music Festival in 2003. He published a book with a collection of songs and music entitled 'ROMAN SYNTHETICS OF THE CITY 17th-18th century' in collaboration with P. Ereinidis.
Halkias Christos
Christos Chalkias was born in Ioannina and is the son of the well-known and renowned clarinetist Tasos Chalkias, who belongs to the fourth generation of the Chalkias family. Apart from his classical studies in western music, he was also taught eastern music (Byzantine organ - cannon) by the late master of the cannon N. Stephanidis. He taught canon at the school of Ar. Moschos and at the music school of Ilion. He wrote a book with technical exercises for the cannonball together with M. Karpathios. Since 1998 he has been chief musician in one of the musical ensembles of the Municipality of Athens, the (ERGASTRI ELLINIKIS MUSIKIS).
Yazdjan Haig
The Armenian Haig Yazdjian (Haik Yazdjian), although born in Syria, had to come to Greece, where he has been living permanently since 1980, to discover oriental music and the oud! But he discovered it for good, as it was evident from his subsequent artistic career, since he is one of the most famous virtuosos in oud and a special composer, belonging now to the musical potential of our country, without, of course, losing his universality as a person and artist.
Bilgi Furkan
Furkan Bilgi was born in 1979 in Adana. He finished his elementary education in Ankara and Istanbul. He entered in I.T.U National Conservatory. He attended concerts with Cinucen Tanrikorur in 1994. He played for famous artists such as Sytky Sezgin and Aleaddin Yavaca. He gave duo concerts with famous Tanbur player Murat Salim Tokac. He gave concerts in Italy, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Germany and Belgium with whirling dervishes. He played as soloist with Bremen Postdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He gave kemencha recitals with famous Kanun Player Halil Karaduman. He became part of a music group "YENY TURKU" in 1997.
Enguller Emrullah
Emrullah Enguller was born in Istanbul in 1967. After completing his high school education in Bandyrma, he entered Istanbul Technique University Turkish Music Conservatory. He worked as violoncello player respectively in Istanbul University and Istanbul Radio, Bursa Classic Turkish Music choir. He had a part in many concerts with world famous musicians. He continues his artistry in Culture and Tourism Ministry Istanbul National Turkish Music Choir. He gave concerts in USA, Japan, Germany, Holland, India, Estonia, Syria, Qatar, Tunisia, Slovakia, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, France, Sweden and Austria.
Erdodular Ahmet
Ahmet Erdodular started studying music at an early age with his father, neyzen Omer Erdodular, and continued his musical development with the guidance of the renowned musician Niyazi Sayyn. He participated in various concerts as a lead singer while still a teenager. Ahmet holds a BA degree from the Istanbul Technical University State Conservatory where he also completed his Masters degree in Turkish Classical Music under the guidance of Professor Alaeddin Yavaca. He specialized in Turkish gazel (improvisation) technique, while his academic research is on the use of music and poetry in gazel forms of the late Ottoman period. Ahmet studied makam and improvisation techniques with Niyazi Sayyn, Necdet Yaar and Kani Karaca, and performed with them in Turkey and around the world. Ahmet also studied and performs Sufi musical repertoire that over centuries integrated spiritual practice and artistic expression. Those include the naat in Mevlevi ayins, as well as ilahi and kaside, as essential components of the Sufi zikir. Ahmet Erdodular participated in various festivals in Europe, Asia and the Untied States performing both Ottoman classical and Sufi music. He gave lectures, seminars and taught workshops in places such as Bosporus University in Istanbul, the Boston Conservatory, Sufi Music Retreat in San Francisco in the United States, and Labyrinth Musical Workshop in Greece. Ahmet worked at the Turkish Radio as soloist, recorded a number of music program series for different television companies, and is frequently featured in the Turkish Radio Television TV music programs. Ahmet Erdodular plays tambur and percussion and devotes his time to performing and teaching Ottoman Turkish classical music.
Erdodular Omer
Omer Erdodular started studying music while still a child, initially learning ney from his father. In 1965 he began studying with Umit Gurelman, and soon after started lessons with Niyazi Sayyn, which continued for many years. In the following two decades, he participated in many radio and TV programs, orchestras and concerts, in a period when ney just began to be rediscovered in Turkey. For many years he researched the techniques of Tanburi Cemil Bey through archive LP recordings, reflecting the musical makam qualities and a particular playing style and sound of Cemil Bey's improvisations onto the ney. In 1980 he first appeared in concert with the famous soloist Bekir Sytky Sezgin, and from then on played in most of his concerts. From 1984 to 1987, Omer Erdodular was a neyzen in Ministry of Culture's Classical Turkish Music Chorus. He made several recordings, among them with Bekir Sytky Sezgin, tanburi Necdet Yaar and Kemencevi Yhsan Ozgen. In 1987 he became a member of the Ministry of Culture's State Classical Turkish Music Ensemble founded by Necdet Yaar of which he is still an active member. As a soloist, a member of the State Classical Turkish Music Ensemble and also the Necdet Yaar Ensemble, Omer Erdodular performed around Turkey and in Europe, United States, Japan and the Middle East participating in various festivals, concerts and recitals. He devotes a significant amount of his time to teaching, both in Istanbul, Turkey like the Turkish Classical Music Camp, and in seminars abroad such as the annual Labyrinth Musical Workshop in Greece, Makamhane in Austria and the Sufi Music Retreat in the United States of America.
Erol Tanju
Tanju Erol graduated ITU Turkish Classical Music National Conservatory in 1985. He had his master degree from Istanbul University Social Science 1987. He started to work as solfege, theory and repertoire teacher in ITU Fine Arts and also ITU Turkish Classical Music National Conservatory as clarinet teacher. He worked for Turkish Radio Television as Clarinet player. He completely transferred his own staff of musicians and had a permanent position in TRT. During his teaching years, he had many of today s famous Clarinet players as his students. He attended many concerts as Clarinet Player or maestro. He composed many songs and his book is being taught in many universities around the world.
Karaba Demir
Demir Karaba was born in 1962 in Canakkale, Turkey. While finishing his primary school in Ankara, he got acquainted with the Violin family, from whom he took his first lessons in music. In fact, Demir Karaba had his first lessons in the theory of music and solfege under the instructions of the distinguished Ismail Oytun of the Turkish Radio and Television (TRT). At the age of 14, he continued lessons in the theory of music and solfege having as a teacher Turhan Toperi of TRT. He also studied with Cinucen Tanrykorur, Ekrem Vural and other renowned musicians. In 1979, he was hired by TRT of Ankara. A little later, he started teaching at Hacettepe University and from 1990 to 2000 he lived in Istanbul, where he continued his work with TRT of Istanbul. He has given many concerts in Taiwan, Holland, Japan, the Arab World and in Turkey and has worked and performed with many well-known musicians from all over the world. In 2002 he returned to Ankara and continued working at the TRT, where he worked on composition, having the opportunity to present his work at the TRT. He has been tutoring as a violin teacher.
Karaduman Ηalil
Halil Karaduman was born in 1959 at Urfa Birecik. He grow up in Gaziantep after 1 Years old. He started to learn playing kanun and get music lessons from his father who is also a kanun player. After he finished his high School in Gaziantep he came to Istanbul in 1977 to study in Ystanbul Technical University State Conservatory. He graduated with the honor degree. After he came to Istanbul he held place in production world as music director, composer and player. He worked with the most famous artists both for their recording works and their live performances (Zeki Muren, Bulent Ersoy, Muzeyyen Senar, Ybrahim Tatlyses, Sezen Aksu and Zulfu Livaneli). At recent years following his worldwide concerts with Zulfu Livaneli he worked with different orchestras and musicians abroad. As a result he had many kanun students from USA, Greece, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, Syria and other countries. He is already giving lectures at conservatories of these countries and attending special concerts and seminars. He has recorded 3CDs in Turkey, 1 in USA and 2 in Greece. The artist who built a new school of kanun playing had also released a Kanun Playing Method. He also worked with lyrics. Some of these are Devlerin Aky, Ruyalarda Buluuruz, Kutupta Yaz Gibi, Leyla, etc. Some of the artists and musicians that he worked abroad are Mikis Theodarakis, Maria Faranduri, Geora Faidman, Al di Meola, Habib Chan and Lizbeth List.
Tokcan Yurdal
Yurdal Tokcan is being regarded as one of the finest oud players in the world today by many music authorities. His style combines older traditions with many new stylistic innovations, which are also present in his playing of the fretless guitar. His many new compositions combine traditional rich melodies with polyphonic textures performed on Turkish classical instruments. Tokcan was born in Ordu on the Black Sea cost of Turkey in 1966. He is a 1998 graduate of Istanbul Technical University's Turkish Music Government Conservatory. While completing his master program there, he joined the faculty as an oud instructor. Tokcan continues to teach, sharing his knowledge, experience, and technique with Turkish and foreign students. In 1990, he joined the Culture and Tourism Ministry's Istanbul Government Music Ensemble under the artistic direction of Tanburi Necdet Yasar. As a member of this ensemble, Yurdal performed in France, Holland, Belgium, and Spain. He is a member of the Istanbul Fasil Ensemble and the Istanbul Tasavvuf Music Ensemble, and a founding member of the Istanbul Sazendeleri (Musicians of Istanbul), a group dedicated to presenting Turkish instrumental works. Tokcan has participated in many recording sessions and has performed internationally, in Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Japan, Turkey, Israel, Tunisia, Lebanon, USA, Bosnia, and Northern Cyprus. As a soloist, Tokcan performed in the Netherlands with the Amsterdam Percussion Group and Chamber Orchestra in a program titled "European Music Around Oud", and with the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra in Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Belgium. Tokcan joined Burhan Ocal (percussion), Goksel Baktagir (kanun), Selim Guler (kemence), and Arif Erdebil (ney) in a French concert, the recording of which won the 1998 "Best Ethnic Album" in France. Tokcan has played in many of ney virtuoso Kudsi Erguner's ensembles, both in Turkey and abroad. He performed in Israel with Group Baharat and with long time collaborator, kanun player Goksel Baktagir. Recently, Tokcan has been recording and performing with Israeli Ladino artist Hadass Pal Yarden. His work can also be heard on "Bende Can" (Inner Soul), an album of his original compositions. Tokcan represented Turkey in several international festivals and celebrations, including the 3rd International Oud and Lavta Festival in Dresden, Germany and the 2002 International Oud Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece (along with oud players Ara Dinkjian, Simon Shaheen, Haig Yazdjian, and Omar Bashir).