Derya Türkan is a classical kemençe player, composer and teacher. Born in Istanbul, he received his formal training at Istanbul Technical University’s Turkish Music Conservatory, where he studied for 10 years under renowned kemençe player Ihsan Özgen. He has held long-term positions with the State Ensemble for Classical Turkish Music at the Ministry of Culture, TRT (Turkish Radio Television) Istanbul Radio and the Kudsi Erguner group.

Blending elements of maqam music, jazz and other global traditions, Türkan has collaborated with musicians from wide-ranging cultural backgrounds, including Jordi Savall, Renaud-Garcia Fons and Sir Simon Rattle. Türkan has also worked on several Turkish film scores, serving as the music director for Cem Yılmaz’s film Yahşi Batı. In 2012, he performed music for the Academy-Award-winning film Argo, which is primarily set in Tehran.

Türkan is also an educator, teaching kemençe to musicians worldwide. He has been teaching at Ross Daly’s Labyrinth Musical Workshop, an educational institution of world music in Crete, since 2004.

Jury citation

"For elevating Turkish classical and folk music on the global stage through peerless mastery of the Turkish kemençe and adventurous cross cultural collaborations."