Mehmet Refik Kaya
Mehmet Refık Kaya was born in Üsküdar, Istanbul in 1957. At an early age, he learned to repair various plucked and bow instruments from his luthier and oud playing father, Teoman Kaya. After completing his Bachelors from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University sculpture department, he completed his Masters in Istanbul Technical University Department of Social Sciences by representing Bahariye Mevlevihanesi and Hüseyin Fahrettin Dede. He completed his Doctoral Thesis on “Rebab from yesterday to today and bringing it back to life”
He has performed various plucked and bow instruments in various musical ensembles in Turkey, Europe and Asia. He has played in important music festivals domestically and internationally such as Istanbul Music Festival and collaborated with important musicians such as Ihsan Özgen by playing various instruments in his ensemble called “Anatolia.’ Between 1984-1985 he performed classical kemençe in the Istanbul Mayor’s Musical Interpretation Organization. After 1985, he dedicated himself to performing on the rebab. He improved and reconstructed the forgotten instrument and redefined it as “Refik-i Rebab” by playing challenging works of new expanded repertoire for this instrument. He has performed not only the most challenging works of Classical Turkish Music repertoire but also Western Classical Music. He recorded two Sufi Music Albums from Çağ Records in 1989 as wells as “Suzidilara Ayini” that he played every instrument in the album by himself, which was released by Kent Records. He has performed more than 500 concerts all around the world with his Sufi Music Ensemble. His live recording from Spain Murcia was released in Spain and titled as “Musica Sufi” in 1990. His album Ruhnüvaz (2005) that was released by Kalan Records reached to large audience in Turkey and abroad. His second album titled as Subh-u Seher included works by 17th century composers such as Ali Ufki and Prince Dimitrie Cantemir.
He has performed as soloist with Cemal Reşit Rey Symphony Orchestra in pianist composer Tuluyhan Uğurlu’s work Senfoni Türk. The first rebab concerto was written by Ilyas Mirzayev and dedicated to Mr. Kaya. The world premiere of the concerto was performed by Mr. Kaya with Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul. He has performed many concerts in United States with his guitarist son Celil Refik Kaya.
He has been performing all around the world as part of the Istanbul Historical Music Ensemble since 1994 as well as conducting music therapy in Johns Hopkins Hospital of Istanbul. Dr. Kaya continues performing with various musicians with wide range of projects under the title of Ruhnüvaz Concerts.
Celil Refik Kaya
Since his concert debut at the age of 6, Celil Refik Kaya has received high promised repetitions and accolades for his myriad accomplishments at an early age, winning First Prize in the 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition with the Buffalo Philharmonic; Top prizewinner of international guitar competitions including Sofia Bulgaria, Naxos Greece, Vienna, Istanbul, and throughout the United States, highlighted awards winner at top competitions such as 2012 Guitar Foundation of America(GFA), Indiana International Guitar Competition, Schadt String Competition, Philadelphia Guitar Competition, Texas International Guitar Competition, Indiana International Guitar Competition, Pearl and Julius Rising Young Stars, Columbus State and Louisville Guitar Competitions.
Mr. Kaya appears as a soloist and international artist touring around the United States and Europe. As a concert soloist, he has collaborated with professional orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic, Istanbul State Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, Brevard Festival Orchestra, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, Bilkent Symphony etc.which he has gained his great artistic recognition internationally. He conducted many masterclasses in the music festivals and the Universities throughout the United States and Europe.
Mr. Kaya had presented the premieres of concertos by Roberto Sierra (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), Derwyn Holder (New Jersey Baroque Orchestra), Leonard Handler, and Suleyman Alnitemiz (Istanbul State Symphony). He recorded the works of Jorge Morel on his first album with NAXOS. His upcoming CD is going to be the works of Italian composer Carlo Domeniconi. As a performer Mr. Kaya works closely with our generation’s great composers including Lowell Liebermann, Jorge Morel, and Roberto Sierra, among many others.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1991, Mr. Kaya began his interest in classical guitar at the age of six with his father, Dr. Mehmet Refik Kaya. Early main instructors included generation-influenced educators such as Yusuf Doğan Büyüköğüt, Raffi Arslanyan, Soner Egesel. When he was 19, Celil earned his Bachelor Degree of Music from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory with the Highest Honor Degree in Istanbul, and was granted the “Excellence” Scholarship from the Turkish Educational Foundation. During his Bachelor’s degree he studied composition with the famous Turkish composer Mehmet Nemutlu.
Mr. Kaya expended his worldwide notice throughout the time he pursued his Master Degree of music in New York City at Mannes College The New School For Music. As a full-scholarship student, he has also received the Excellence in Performance Awards by the Mannes College the New School for Music. Mr. Kaya was proudly studied in the studio of Michael Newman (the disciple of Andrés Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia and Albert Valdes Blain) as well as private studies with Grammy awards-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin. During his master’s degree he studied composition, arrangement and transcription with renowned guitarist-composer Frederic Hand. Celil is currently receiving the Harrington fellowship –at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music as a candidate of Doctoral Degree of Musical Arts program and teaching assistant, in the studio of prestigious guitarist of out time – Adam Holzman.
Mr. Kaya performed in the most prestigious concert halls and the festivals around the United States including solo recital, concerto performances and master classes on the D’Addario Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, The Frick Collection Museum in NYC Summer Artists series, New York Guitar Seminar Festival at Mannes College, Round Top Festival in Texas, Brevard Music Festival in South Carolina, Raritan River Music Festival, Nevada County Guitar Festival, also numerous Radio broadcast and concert performances throughout United States and Turkey.
Besides a concert soloist, Celil Refik Kaya is also known as an avid composer where his has more than 100 pieces including works for solo guitar, violin, piano, string trio, duets, sonatas etc. His chamber and instrumental works were performed throughout United States, Turkey, South Korea and Australia Sydney’s Opera House. He also enjoys playing chamber music, playing traditional Turkish music and training martial arts during his spare time.
Egemen Kesikli
Turkish composer and performer Egemen Kesikli strives to promote diversity in contemporary music, and his composition catalogue varies from large-orchestral pieces and concertos to alternative chamber works featuring traditional Turkish instruments and unconventional ensemble formations. Egemen’s music has been heard at festivals and venues across North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, and has been featured on NPR and PBS, as well as on various public radios in Turkey and Austria. He received honors and recognition from ASCAP, Beethoven Club, and Minnesota Music Educators Association, among others.
Egemen has received his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, Master’s from the University of Texas at Austin, and Bachelor’s from St. Olaf College. He currently holds the position of Instructor of Music Theory at Colorado State University and Lecturer of Composition at the University of Colorado Boulder. When he is not composing, performing, or teaching, Egemen enjoys cooking, improvising on his oud that was made by his beloved father, and watching cat videos with his partner.
John Lee Bonner
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John Lee Bonner received a Master of Music Performance in Choral Conducting degree from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Science in Music (voice) with a minor emphasis in Music Composition from Eastern New Mexico University. He has performed throughout New Mexico, Texas, New York, and Washington, D.C.. John has performed Brahms’ Requiem with the Santa Fe Symphony and Symphony Chorus, Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, and at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition, John has performed in choirs in Oklahoma City at the American Choral Director’s Association National Convention and in New York at Carnegie Hall. John has played tuba with the Eastern New Mexico University Symphonic Band and piano with the Eastern New Mexico University Jazz Combo.
As a conductor and educator, John Lee Bonner has worked with many ensembles. He has worked with the West Texas A&M University Collegiate Choir, Eastern New Mexico University Chamber Singers, the Eastern New Mexico University Singers, and was Musical Director and Conductor of the Clovis – Portales Community Orchestra for the 2011 – 2012 season.
He has traveled to several conventions and workshops throughout the United States including American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, New Mexico Music Educators Association, and Texas Music Educators Association conventions as well as the Soaring Leap Workshop with Eric Whitacre. John is continuously expanding his education through reading, workshops, masterclasses, and more.
As a composer and arranger, John has had multiple pieces premiered and recorded by Eastern New Mexico University students, as well as award-winning soprano, Audra Methvin and composer and educator Dr. Mark DalPorto.
John has studied with Dr. Mark DalPorto, Dr. Jason Paulk, Dr. Sean Pullen, Mr. Dustin Seifert, and Dr. Jason Vest. His musical inspiration comes from many sources, but include: Claudio Monteverdi, Benjamin Britten, and Eric Whitacre.
Organizations to which John Lee Bonner belongs include: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, and Texas Music Educators Association.
John lives in Texas.
Franklin Piland
Franklin Piland (b. 1990, he/him) is an American Indian conductor of wind bands, an active music educator, and a composer of contemporary music. Piland serves on the faculty of Floydada Collegiate ISD in Floydada, Texas and South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He conducts the Floydada Band ensembles and instructs secondary and college music education courses for grades 6-12 in Floydada, and is an associate conductor, board member, performer, and Librarian of the Lubbock Concert Band in Lubbock, Texas. Additionally, he performs with the Lubbock Civic Orchestra as the ensemble’s longest appointed tubist.