Erden Bilgen

Erden Bilgen was born in Kars in 1950. He started his musical study with his father, Selim Bilgen and Cemal Cimcoz. He then studied at the Izmir State Conservatory with Hermann Neuling and Hans Nicolai between 1964 and 1969. He graduated from the Ankara State Conservatory in 1971 after two years of mentoring from Jean Claude Bayeaux. Bilgen played trumpet with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in 1971-1978. He also performed different musical compositions on classical, folk, pop and jazz styles on TV and radio programs during the same period. He was invited to Germany in 1978 and has been performing and teaching music abroad since then. He performed as an associate solo trumpeter in the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra. Bilgen gave trumpet lectures at the Music School and College of Education (Pädagogische Hochschule) in Freiburg and solfeggio at College of Music in Stuttgart (Musikhochshule). He was the constitutional member of the Freiburg School of Jazz in Germany where he gave trumpet lectures. Bilgen also gave trumpet and chamber music lectures and seminars at several State Conservatories in Turkey. He was awarded under the title of Soloist Musician (State Soloist) by the Turkish Ministry of Culture in 1991. During his career, Bilgen has performed as a soloist in various festivals and concerts held in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, France, Monaco, Sweden, Holland, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, Mexico, Australia, Canada, America, New Zealand and Hawaii. He has also participated in reputable festivals and concerts abroad with his original Turkish compositions. Composer Nejat Basegmezler dedicated his piece "Sinfonietta for solo trumpet, piano, and string instruments" to Erden Bilgen, a piece first performed by Bilgen himself, accompanied by the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gurer Aykal, as a world premier in Ankara. Bilgen has been the soloist at the Chamber Ensemble, Cologne since 1981.