Taner Akyol - Birds Of Passage

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Born in Bursa (Turkey) in 1977, Taner Akyol studied baglama, violin and piano from an early age and started working as a professional baglama player in his teens. He moved to Berlin (Germany) at the age of 19 where he studied composition with Prof. Kyburz (Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule) and -- after graduating with a diploma in 2003 -- with Prof. Zimmermann (University of Arts). He founded the intercultural ensemble Cornucopia and in 2004 became the director of the "ta Musikatelier" in Berlin.

Taner Akyol was awarded several prizes (MusicaVitale, Hanns Eisler Award) as a baglama soloist and composer of chamber music. He was the first who brought the baglama to the attention of the European composers and academic scene. The baglama (also called: saz, tanbur, dombra, setar, dutar) is an oriental long-neck lute that is used in many musical traditions between the Balkan countries and Central Asia, mainly for accompanying folk songs. Its strings can be played with the fingertips or with a plectrum.

For his album "Birds of Passage" ("Göcmen Kuslar") on Enja Records Taner Akyol has composed or arranged twelve Turkish-flavored pieces for diverse chamber music ensembles ranging from 2 to 16 players of western classical as well as Turkish classical instruments. The centerpiece of the music, however, is the leader's vocal performance. The lyrics sung, many of them of anonymous origin, hail from several centuries of Turkish poetry. Among the poets featured are Pir Sultan Abdal (16th century), a dervish leader who was considered a rebel against the Osman Empire, Köroglu (16th century), a popular hero and singer, and Mevlana (13th century), a legendary Sufi master. Combining these famous poems with Akyol's modern-day chamber music, the album is an important document of living Turkish tradition.

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