APersonIndependent states
Fazıl Say
World-renowned pianist and composer (b. 1970) who brings together classical music, Turkish folk motifs and jazz.
Fazıl Say was born in Ankara and studied at the Ankara State Conservatory, then in Düsseldorf and Berlin. His international career began after he won the Young Concert Artists auditions in New York in 1994.
He plays with the world's leading orchestras and has won awards for his Bach, Mozart and Beethoven recordings. As a composer he has written the "Istanbul Symphony", the oratorio "Nâzım" and piano concertos; in "Black Earth" he recreates Âşık Veysel's türkü on the piano with the sound of a bağlama.
By muting the piano strings with his hand and similar techniques he evokes Turkish folk instruments. He is one of Türkiye's best-known names in classical music worldwide.
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Updated: October 2, 2026