Biography
Turkish-American pianist and historical keyboard player Tolga Atalay Ün was born in 1995, in Ankara, Turkey. He is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma on historical keyboard instruments, studying with Prof. Terence Charlston at the Royal College of Music, London, as the ‘Mills Williams Junior Fellow’. He has recently completed the Master of Performance (MPerf) programme with Distinction, as a ‘C. Bechstein Scholar supported by a Christopher Hogwood Scholarship’ and Bachelor of Music (Honours) programme with First Class as a ‘Kenneth and Violet Scott Scholar’ at the RCM, where he studied piano with Prof. Norma Fisher and Prof. Niel Immelman, and harpsichord with Prof. Terence Charlston. He was generously supported by Sevda-Cenap and Music Foundation and Talent Unlimited for his studies.
In September 2016, Tolga Atalay Ün was selected as a scholar to the ‘Young Musicians on World Stages’ (YMWS) project created and mentored by Güher & Süher Pekinel with financial support of TÜPRAŞ.
Playing as a soloist with the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting them from the keyboard in the opening concert of 33rd International Ankara Music Festival in April 2016 won him a great recognition amongst the musical authorities. On the 6th March 2019, he played in the concert organised for the annual President’s Visit from His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to the RCM. His recent prizes include the Beethoven Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians as a result of winning the First Prize and the Thomas Harris Beethoven Award at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe’s 2017 Senior Intercollegiate Piano Competition; the First Prize, as well as the Prize for the Best Performance of A.A. Saygun and the Audience Prize at the 4th Ahmed Adnan Saygun Piano Competition in Turkey, 2017; the First Prize at the Kendall Taylor Beethoven Competition at the RCM in 2017 and the Second Prize at the Broadwood Horniman Harpsichord Competition in November 2015. He played numerous concerts in many different countries, such as Turkey, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Romania; and in prestigious concert halls such as London Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Drapers’ Hall, Steinway Hall London, RCM Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, Salzburg Mozarteum, Bayerische Musikakademie Marktoberdorf, Boğaziçi University Albert Long Hall, Istanbul Arter Museum, Istanbul Notre Dame de Sion High School, Ankara MEB Şura Concert Hall, Bilkent Concert Hall, Antalya Cultural Centre and Mersin State Opera and Ballet. He participated in masterclasses given by renowned pianists and harpsichordists such as Ton Koopman, Janina Fialkowska, Rolf Plagge, Ian Jones, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Andrew Zolinsky, and Daniel Shapiro. He also had conducting lessons given by Conductors Lior Shambadal, Peter Gülke, Orhun Orhon, İbrahim Yazıcı and Burak Tüzün. As a result of this, he conducted numerous concerts with orchestras including Hitit Philharmonic Orchestra (a volunteer orchestra that he formed with his friends), Hacettepe Youth Symphony Orchestra, Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra and Bodrum Chamber Orchestra.
In 2004, he was accepted as a member to the Polyphonic Children’s Choir of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, conducted by Ahter Destan. During 2004-2009, he participated in many concerts, tours and organisations as a choir member and accompanist. In 2007, he was offered a place to start his professional piano studies with Sibel Özgün at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, where he was graduated with the “Top of the School Award” in 2014. During his seven-year conservatory education; he gave many concerts, premiered many pieces and made many radio recordings as a pianist, conductor, chamber musician and accompanist. He took lessons about Modern Music History and Contemporary Music Techniques given by a famous Turkish composer İlhan Baran in 2009-2013. In May 2009, he was awarded the “honourable mention” in the Fourth International Istanbul Pera Piano Competition and in 2010, the “Jury’s Special Award” in “The National Chopin Piano Competition”, which was organized jointly by Başkent University and Bahçelievler Rotary Club in Ankara, Turkey under the auspices of the Polish Embassy, to commemorate Chopin’s 200th birthday. After winning this prize, he got an invitation to become one of the founder members of Bahçelievler Interact Club. As an Interact, he has had the opportunity of participating in various social activities.
Concerts
Upcoming concerts
Information coming soon
Click here for past concerts
30 March 2020, 1pm
Recital with Violinist Maria Gilicel
St. Martin in the Fields, London - info:
26 March 2020
Recital with Violinist Maria Gilicel
Lake District Festival
22 March 2020
Keyboard Festival
RCM London, Four-Hands
28 February 2020
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin and Umut Sağlam - Cello
Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul
27 February 2020
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin and Umut Sağlam - Cello
German Consulate General, Istanbul
26 February 2020
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin and Umut Sağlam - Cello
Boğaziçi University Albert Long Hall, Istanbul
12 February 2020, 1.10 pm
Solo Recital at the
Steinway Hall, London
18 December 2019, 1 pm
Recital with the Violist Ana Dunne-Sequi for Talent Unlimited
St James’s Piccadilly
15 December 2019, 5.30 pm
Recital with the Cellist Tamaki Sugimoto
Conway Hall, London
6 December 2019
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin, Olgu Kızılay - Violin, Umut Sağlam - Cello, Barok Bostancı - Viola and Tolga Atalay Ün - Piano
Ankara MEB Şura Concert Hall, Turkey
4 December 2019
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin, Olgu Kızılay - Violin, Umut Sağlam - Cello, Barok Bostancı - Viola and Tolga Atalay Ün - Piano
Embassy of France, Ankara, Turkey
28 November 2019
Young Musicians on World Stages Chamber Music Concert with Veriko Tchumburidze - Violin, Olgu Kızılay - Violin, Umut Sağlam - Cello, Barok Bostancı – Viola, Seçil İrem Keskin - Doublebass and Tolga Atalay Ün - Piano
Arter Contemporary Art Museum, Istanbul
9 November 2019, 1 pm
Recital with Maria Gilicel
Croydon, CR9 7AT
19 October 2019, 7.30 pm
Recital with Maria Gilicel
Colyton, EX24 6LJ
9 October 2019, 1 pm
Recital with Maria Gilicel for Talent Unlimited
St. James’s Piccadilly, London
27 September 2019, 7.30 pm
Recital with Maria Gilicel
Music in the Castle, Powderham Castle, EX6 8JQ
25 September 2019, 8.15 pm
Recital with the Violinist Maria Gilicel
West End Centre, 48 Queens Road, Aldershot, GU11 3JD
10 February 2019, 6.30 - 7.30 pm
Norwich Chapel Concerts
The Chapel, 64 Park Lane, Norwich NR2 3EF - info:
4 December 2018, 7-9 pm
Tchaikovsky’s Seasons at Pushkin House
5A Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2TA - info:
16 November 2018, 1.10 pm
Solo Lunchtime Recital at Croydon Minster Church
Church St, Croydon CR0 1RN - info:
12 November 2018
Lunchtime Recital
Austrian Cultural Forum London- info:
30 October 2018
BPSE Prize Winners’ Concert
St. Martin in the Fields, London - info:
25 October 2018
Young Musicians on World Stages Concert
Koç University, Istanbul
24 October 2018
Young Musicians on World Stages Concert
Boğaziçi University Albert Long Hall, Istanbul
7 October 2018
Stonevale Concert Series
Videos
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In Focus: The Kennedy-Mietke Harpsichord - Tolga Atalay Ün -
Round Midnight - T. Monk / O. Peterson - Tolga Atalay Ün -
W.A. Mozart - Piano Concerto No.21 in C Major, K.467, Third Movement - Tolga Atalay Ün -
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.1 in C Major, Op.21 - Conductor: Tolga Atalay Ün -
J.S. Bach - Toccata in E Minor -Tolga Atalay Ün (Harpsichord) -
Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata No.1 in C Major, Op.1 - Tolga Atalay Ün
Gallery Click to enlarge images
Contact
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