Suna Kan
Encyclopedia
Suna Kan, born on October 21, 1936 in Adana
, Turkey. Great Turkish violin
ist.
She started playing the violin at the age of five and gave her first public concerts when she was only nine years old, performing Mozart
's A major and Viotti
's A minor violin concerto
s with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. She continued her studies in Ankara
under Walter Gerhard, Izzet Albayrak and Lico Amar. In 1949 she was sent to France on scholarship, under a special law passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. She studied with Gabriel Bouillon at the Paris Conservatory and graduated in 1952, winning the first prize.
Upon returning homeland, starting from 1960's, she gave concerts in Anatolia first with the Turkish pianist Ferhunde Erkin
and then with Gülay Uğurata regularly. Her partnership with Uğurata lasted 29 years. After Uğurata's death, she formed a duo with the pianist Cana Gürmen.
Suna Kan's extensive concert tours have so far covered most parts of the world, including England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Russia, China, Japan, South American countries, Canada and the United States. She has performed with many international orchestras such as the London Symphony
, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony
, Residentie Orchestra
(the Netherlands), Moscow Symphony
, French National Radio Symphony (ORTF) under great conductors like István Kertész, Arthur Fiedler
, Walter Susskind
, Hans Rosbaud
, Zubin Mehta
, Gotthold Lessing, Louis Frémaux
and Michel Plasson
. She also collaborated with celebrated artists like Yehudi Menuhin
, Igor Bezrodny, Pierre Fournier
, André Navarra
, and Frederick Riddle
in performing double concertos.
In 1970's Suna Kan acted as one of the founders of TRT Ankara Chamber Orchestra together with conductor Gürer Aykal and music critic Faruk Güvenç, also his husband. She played with the orchestra as a solo violinist and a member of the violin group. Since 1986, in addition to her concerts, broadcasts and recording activities, she is professor of violin at the Music and Performing Arts Department of Bilkent University
, in Ankara.
In 1971, she received the title "State Artist
" from the Turkish government. She was also awarded "Chevalier dans l'ordre National du Merite" by the Government of France. In 1996 she received the Sevda Cenap And Foundation Golden Medal, a prize offered to the distinctive performers and artists of classical music in Turkey. In 1997, the book "Suna Kan: The Violin Heartfeltly Played" by Müşerref Hekimoğlu was published by the same foundation.
During her career, she played with giants like Yehudi Menuhin
, André Navarra
and Pierre Fournier
and received great acclaim for her interpretations from these masters.
In her interpretations, Suna Kan combines perfection and balance in a lucid manner that remains far from ostentation. A pioneer in interpreting the works of Turkish symphonic composers written for violin, she played Necil Kazim Akses
', Ahmed Adnan Saygun's and Ulvi Cemal Erkin
's "Violin Concerto"s.
Kan made few recordings. this is partly because during the most brilliant years of her career, recording business in Turkey was quite inactive. Her few recordings, some of them from live concerts, include Ulvi Cemal Erkin
's "Violin Concerto"s playings with Presidential Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic and all the violin concertos of Mozart with TRT Ankara Chamber Orchestra.
Although she has not gained international popularity that matches her artistic stance as a violinist, she remained in the hearts of a small group of connoiseurs in Turkey as a great virtuoso of a distinctive, special and pure tone.
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
, Turkey. Great Turkish violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist.
She started playing the violin at the age of five and gave her first public concerts when she was only nine years old, performing Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's A major and Viotti
Giovanni Battista Viotti
Giovanni Battista Viotti was an Italian violinist whose virtuosity was famed and whose work as a composer featured a prominent violin and an appealing lyrical tunefulness...
's A minor violin concerto
Violin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...
s with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. She continued her studies in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
under Walter Gerhard, Izzet Albayrak and Lico Amar. In 1949 she was sent to France on scholarship, under a special law passed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. She studied with Gabriel Bouillon at the Paris Conservatory and graduated in 1952, winning the first prize.
Upon returning homeland, starting from 1960's, she gave concerts in Anatolia first with the Turkish pianist Ferhunde Erkin
Ferhunde Erkin
Ferhunde Erkin née Ferhunde Remzi was a Turkish pianist born in Istanbul. Ferhunde Remzi started her first lessons in Bandırma with her father Ali Remzi Yiğitgüden's guidance when her brother Necdet Remzi Atak started violin lessons.Ferhunde and Necdet later took lessons from several teachers in...
and then with Gülay Uğurata regularly. Her partnership with Uğurata lasted 29 years. After Uğurata's death, she formed a duo with the pianist Cana Gürmen.
Suna Kan's extensive concert tours have so far covered most parts of the world, including England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Russia, China, Japan, South American countries, Canada and the United States. She has performed with many international orchestras such as the London Symphony
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony
Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
The Bamberg Symphony is a German orchestra based in Bamberg and well known for its artistic excellence and frequent international touring...
, Residentie Orchestra
Residentie Orchestra
Het Residentie Orkest is a Dutch orchestra based in The Hague. Its primary venue is the Dr. Anton Philipszaal....
(the Netherlands), Moscow Symphony
Moscow Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1989, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra comprises 80 musicians, including graduates from such institutions as the Moscow Conservatory, Kiev Conservatory, and Saint Petersburg Conservatory. The orchestra is produced by Stas Namin, and conduced by Konstantin Krimets. It has recorded over 100...
, French National Radio Symphony (ORTF) under great conductors like István Kertész, Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler
Arthur Fiedler was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country...
, Walter Susskind
Walter Susskind
Jan Walter Susskind was a Czech-born British conductor.-Biography:Susskind was born in Prague, Austria–Hungary, now the Czech Republic. His father was a Viennese music critic and his Czech mother was a piano teacher. At the State Conservatorium he studied under composer Josef Suk, the son-in-law...
, Hans Rosbaud
Hans Rosbaud
Hans Rosbaud , was an Austrian conductor, particularly associated with the music of the twentieth century....
, Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
, Gotthold Lessing, Louis Frémaux
Louis Frémaux
Louis Frémaux is a French conductor.-Life and career:Frémaux comes from an artistic background; his father was a painter, and his wife was a music teacher....
and Michel Plasson
Michel Plasson
Michel Plasson is a French conductor.Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. He studied briefly in the United States, including time with Charles Münch...
. She also collaborated with celebrated artists like Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
, Igor Bezrodny, Pierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists," on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound....
, André Navarra
André Navarra
André-Nicolas Navarra was a French cellist and cello teacher.-Early life:...
, and Frederick Riddle
Frederick Riddle
Frederick Riddle OBE was an important British violist. He was considered to be in the line from Lionel Tertis and William Primrose, through to the violists of today such as Lawrence Power.-Biography:...
in performing double concertos.
In 1970's Suna Kan acted as one of the founders of TRT Ankara Chamber Orchestra together with conductor Gürer Aykal and music critic Faruk Güvenç, also his husband. She played with the orchestra as a solo violinist and a member of the violin group. Since 1986, in addition to her concerts, broadcasts and recording activities, she is professor of violin at the Music and Performing Arts Department of Bilkent University
Bilkent University
İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University, commonly referred to as Bilkent University or Bilkent, is the first private, nonprofit university in Turkey with the fundamental aim of creating a center of excellence in higher education and research...
, in Ankara.
In 1971, she received the title "State Artist
State Artist
State Artist is a honorary title issued to artists by the government of Turkey for their contributions into the Turkish culture. It was established in 1971 by President of Turkey and the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism....
" from the Turkish government. She was also awarded "Chevalier dans l'ordre National du Merite" by the Government of France. In 1996 she received the Sevda Cenap And Foundation Golden Medal, a prize offered to the distinctive performers and artists of classical music in Turkey. In 1997, the book "Suna Kan: The Violin Heartfeltly Played" by Müşerref Hekimoğlu was published by the same foundation.
During her career, she played with giants like Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
, André Navarra
André Navarra
André-Nicolas Navarra was a French cellist and cello teacher.-Early life:...
and Pierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier
Pierre Fournier was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists," on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound....
and received great acclaim for her interpretations from these masters.
In her interpretations, Suna Kan combines perfection and balance in a lucid manner that remains far from ostentation. A pioneer in interpreting the works of Turkish symphonic composers written for violin, she played Necil Kazim Akses
Necil Kazim Akses
Necil Kazım Akses was a Turkish classical composer.-Life:Akses studied music and composition in Vienna with Joseph Marx and in Prague with Josef Suk and Alois Hába...
', Ahmed Adnan Saygun's and Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Ulvi Cemal Erkin was a member of the pioneer group of symphonic composers in Turkey, born in the period 1904 - 1910, who later came to be called The Turkish Five. These composers set out the direction of music in the newly established Turkish Republic...
's "Violin Concerto"s.
Kan made few recordings. this is partly because during the most brilliant years of her career, recording business in Turkey was quite inactive. Her few recordings, some of them from live concerts, include Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Ulvi Cemal Erkin
Ulvi Cemal Erkin was a member of the pioneer group of symphonic composers in Turkey, born in the period 1904 - 1910, who later came to be called The Turkish Five. These composers set out the direction of music in the newly established Turkish Republic...
's "Violin Concerto"s playings with Presidential Symphony Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic and all the violin concertos of Mozart with TRT Ankara Chamber Orchestra.
Although she has not gained international popularity that matches her artistic stance as a violinist, she remained in the hearts of a small group of connoiseurs in Turkey as a great virtuoso of a distinctive, special and pure tone.