Esra Pehlivanli studied with the eminent Violist Mikhail Kugel and holds diplomas of master degree and advanced studies from the Gent Royal Conservatory in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 and the Conservatorium Maastricht

Conservatorium Maastricht

The Maastricht Academy of Music, Dutch: Conservatorium Maastricht, located in the city of Maastricht, is one of nine music academies in the Netherlands...

 in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, finishing both degrees with the highest distinction.

Pehlivanli has been awarded several prizes such as the V. Krzyzstof Penderecki International Contemporary Music Competition (Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

), Torneo Internazionale di Musica (Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

) and the first prize in Premio Valentino Bucchi International Viola Competition (Italy), where she obtained a Presidential Medal of Honour.

Pehlivanli ’s repertoire spans from Baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 until the music of present time. Besides performing all the major works of the Viola

Viola

The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...

 literature, she is a great devotee of contemporary music and collaborates with composers for the creation and promotion of new Viola repertory. Many works have been written for her by composers such as Ivo Petric

Ivo Petric

Ivo Petrić is a Slovenian composer of European classical music.Petrić was educated at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana from 1952 to 1958. After completing his studies at the Academy, he conducted and toured with the Slavko Osterc chamber music ensemble until 1982...

, Chiel Meijering

Chiel Meijering

Chiel Meijering is a Dutch composer. He studied composition with Ton de Leeuw, percussion with Jan Labordus and Jan Pustjens, and piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music....

, Bruno Strobl, Nico Huijbregts, Yigit Kolat, Gerard Beljon, and Sinta Wullur including the first Concerto for Viola & Accordion and Symphony Orchestra by Selim Dogru.

Pehlivanli has given a great variety of concerts in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Austria, China, Slovenia and Luxembourg. She has played as a soloist with the major orchestras in her native country, such as the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra

Bilkent Symphony Orchestra

The Bilkent Symphony Orchestra is a major symphony orchestra of Turkey located in Bilkent, Ankara. It was founded in 1993 by Bilkent University. Since 1994 the orchestra is based in Bilkent Concert Hall...

, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra

Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra

The Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra is a Turkish symphony orchestra based in Istanbul.Founded in 1945 as the Istanbul Municipality City Orchestra, its first principal conductor was Cemal Reşit Rey. In 1972 it became the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra...

, and the Izmir State Symphony Orchestra

Izmir State Symphony Orchestra

İzmir State Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra located in İzmir.Its principal conductor is Rengim Gökmen....

. Pehlivanli has taken part in festivals such as Robeco Zomerconcerten (the Netherlands), Grachtenfestival (the Netherlands), International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht (the Netherlands), Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (Germany), De “Wohltemperierte” Accordeon (the Netherlands-Germany), Akkorde-On-Stage (Austria), International Ankara Music Festival (Turkey), Mersin International Music Festival (Turkey), and radio & tv recordings for RTL Germany, TRT Turkey, Concertzender the Netherlands.

External links

• http://www.esralto.com/ - home page Esra Pehlivanli
• http://www.violacatalogue.com/ - Catalogue of Viola Repertory