Gözde Yaşar

Gözde Yaşar was born in Izmir in 1985. She started her study in cello with Hara Aliyev at Bilkent Preparatory School with a full scholarship in 1995. In 2003 Yaşar performed M. Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei” with the Bilkent Youth Orchestra. She won the second place prize in the Trakya 6th International Cello Competition. In 2004 she joined the concert tour of the Anadolu Youth Orchestra and performed in many places in Turkey, Belgium, and Germany. In 2007 Yaşar performed Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with the Bilkent Youth Orchestra. She has played contemporary works as well. She participated in the Lucas David and Young Talents group.

After graduating from the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Bilkent University in 2007, Yaşar received a Fulbright scholarship and continued her Master′s degree in cello in the Program of SUNY/Purchase State University of New York with Julia Lichten. In 2009 Yaşar performed Dvorak’s Cello Concerto with the Purchase Symphony. She pursued her doctoral degree with Evelyn Elsing and Peter Wiley at the University of Maryland in 2009. Yaşar performed Tchaikovsky′s Rococo variations at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, the Bonnie Hampton, and Mischa Maisky′s master classes. She has developed her Ottoman Music Project, which she began in 2006, and performed with Mahir Cetiz in New York and Ottowa (Canada). In addition to performing as a member of chamber orchestras such as the Apollo Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Concert Artists, and Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Yaşar actively performs as a soloist. She is currently teaching at Mimar Sinan University Conservatory.

Reference: cellist.nl, ensemblenodus.com