Born in 1989 in Ankara, Ceren Türkmenoğlu studied violin at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig, and completed her master’s at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Boston. She studied with Cengiz Özkök, Carolin Widmann, Ellen Jewett, Cihat Aşkın, and Jesse Mills. In addition to violin, she performs rebab, bendir, and other traditional instruments, blending Western classical music with Anatolian and world traditions.
She has performed with the Ankara State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Silk Road Ensemble, and has appeared at events including Harvard University’s Arts First Festival. Her projects include “Music from Where the Sun Rises” and “Strings from Around the World”, featuring international research and performances, including in Tuva, the U.S., and the U.K.
Türkmenoğlu’s compositions intersect classical, contemporary, and traditional music. Highlights include her first album Mâî (2021), the Köroğlu Ballet (2024, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, Istanbul), the chamber work Solstice (2024, Weltivale Music Festival, Germany), the string quartet Çember (2025, 53rd Istanbul Music Festival), and the Köroğlu Ballet Suite (2025, Casals Forum Kronberg). She continues to perform internationally while pursuing her compositional and solo projects.
Ramazan Konak
Born in 1986 in Ankara, is a musician specializing in rhythm and percussion. He received his musical education at the Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts, Department of Instrumental Education. Focusing on the tradition of Turkish musical rhythms, Konak incorporates traditional percussion techniques into both stage and orchestral projects. He also researches Anatolian, Latin, and Indian rhythms, blending these diverse rhythmic cultures into his performances.
Throughout his career, Konak has collaborated with numerous prominent musicians and academics, including Kubat, Orhan Şanlıel, Erberk Eryılmaz, Tolga Atalay Ün, Sinan Ayyıldız, Tan Sağtürk, and Önder Özkoç. In the field of traditional music, he has worked with significant figures such as Çorlulu Savaş, Ahmet Özden, Samir Kurtov, Buğra Kutbay, İsmail Lumanovski, and Mısırlı Ahmet.
Konak has performed at major cultural events in Turkey as well as international festivals, including the Muğla International Zurna Festival, with concerts in countries such as Poland (Zakopane), France (Dijon), Romania (Sibiu), Estonia (Tallinn), Bulgaria (Varna), Italy (Bergamo), Portugal (Lisbon), Lithuania (Vilnius), Japan (Tokyo), Pakistan (Islamabad), and the Philippines (Manila). He continues his work as a rhythm artist with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism State Folk Dance Ensemble, combining traditional musical heritage with a contemporary stage approach.