Eray Altınbüken

Eray Altınbüken was born in Istanbul in 1975. After graduating from the Faculty of Communication at Marmara University, he completed his master′s degree in music composition at Istanbul Technical University, Centre for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) in 2002. He received his doctoral degree in musical composition at his alma mater, where he studied composition with Prof. Ilhan Usmanbas, Prof. Kamran Ince, Prof. Hasan Ucarsu, and Dr. Mark Wingate, and theory with Dr. David Osbon, Dr. Pieter Snapper, and Dr. Michael Ellison. Currently, Altınbüken works as Assistant Professor at the Composition Department in the Turkish Music State Conservatory of Istanbul Technical University.

Most of his compositions have been performed by various chamber ensembles in Istanbul, most notably the Variations for Violin and Piano in 3rd International Mediterranean Contemporary Music Festival, and Kumdaki Kan (Blood on the Sand) written for kemenche, guitar and cello, in Istanbul International Spectral Music Conference. His song cycle for chamber ensemble and soprano "Atonal Pop Suite: Hazy Songs", which is centred around the use of atonal harmony with form and rhythmic structures of pop and rock, has been supported by ITU as an artistic research project, and was recently premiered and recorded. With cellist Yelda Ozgen, Altınbüken worked as an artistic events co-manager of ITU/MIAM, organising more than 200 events including festivals, concerts, master classes and seminars. Altınbüken has also written music for movies, documentary series and cartoons mostly for Turkish Radio and Television TRT.

Reference: myspace.com, newmusicistanbul.com, erhanbirol.com