I'm grateful to be in touch with musicians from the Silk Road Global Music Workshop network, and am constantly inspired by the work from this group. Ceren is a violinist based in Boston who focuses on western classical and Turkish traditional music. In this interview she describes how as a classically trained violinist, she sought to expand her musical language through the study of other cultural traditions, especially her own, Turkish traditional music.
Thank you Ceren for sharing your story with me:
1. List a few words describing your mood and where you are writing this now.
I’m at a coffee shop, it’s a rainy day in Boston bringing somewhat melancholic feelings. (Though I have to say by the time I finished these questions I've changed so many places, I’m finishing in Florida, in a brighter mood with the sun.)
2. Describe your work.
I am a musician raised in western classical music who is withdrawn to the traditional music styles of different cultures around the world. My own culture was my starting point and through the exploration and study of Turkish music, I integrated that into my musicianship and into my work. My project "Music from Where the Sun Rises" explores the Classical Turkish Music of the Ottoman Empire. I focus on the lesser known musical works of this period, presenting them with the unique timbres of traditional instruments. My other project, Strings Around the World, studies the interconnections between traditional string instruments of different cultures. As part of this project I recently made a trip to Tuva Republic in Central Asia, where I researched the culture’s unique instruments and musical heritage. This is a project I want to expand to other regions around the world in the future. Besides these I continuously perform classical music, in orchestras, chamber ensembles and in recitals. In January 2017, taking time off from my orchestra job in Istanbul, I came to Boston to experience the music scene here in the US and have been playing in various classical music ensembles around the country since then.
3. Rant for a bit about your style and describe the sound worlds you love to create.
I feel like my style and the sound worlds I want to create are stretching into different branches. My goal has always been to grasp music to its fullest, free from categorizations or distinctions, not being limited to one style or one understanding of music. Two main styles I perform in are western classical music and Turkish music. In addition to these I have been an explorer of different styles and traditions, collaborating with traditional musicians occasionally. Apart from these, recently I began to compose and record short pieces of my own, just for the pleasure of it, which feel like the reflections of all the influences I have inside my mind.
4. What’s in a typical day?