Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1974. At the age of five, she began studying the piano at the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory with Nejla TİNER. Later on she continued at the Istanbul Mimar Sinan University State Conservatory with Prof. Hülya TARCAN. In 1993 she graduated from the conservatory with first prize. After her graduation she was granted The Turkish Education Fund (TEV) scholarship to study in Germany with Prof. Helmut WEINREBE and Prof. Pavel GILILOV at the “Cologne Musikhochschule”. Upon her return to Turkey she has completed her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Mimar Sinan University State Conservatory, Istanbul. In 2011 she has become an associate professor.
She has so far given many recitals and concerts in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Singapore, Macedonia, Russia, Greece, France, Mexico, New York and Turkey. In 1991, she won the second prize of the Mozart Piano Competition in Austria. She also took part in the master-class of Irina MUSATOVA in Krems, Austria. In 1993, she won the special award of the “Sedat Gürel – Güzin Gürel Art and Science Fund” and in 1994 she won the first prize and jury special prize of “Bülent TARCAN Piano Competition”. In the same year, she also won the second prize in “the Prokofiev Piano Competition” in Germany. She participated in the “International Competition for Young Pianists ‘Dimitar Nenov’ Razgrad” in Bulgaria and won the first prize. Recently she has performed as soloist in the “I. International Istanbul Spring Festival”, “First Balkan Forum of Young Pianists” in Bulgaria and “International Young Pianists Forum” in Bulgaria. Also she took “the best music award” from Marmara University 8th Short Movie Competition in Istanbul.
At the same time, she composed some fusion musics and released them in 2006 with the name “Guldenjazz”.
She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras in Turkey and abroad, among the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra, Razgrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Macedonia State Philarmonic Orchestra, Vratza State Philharmonic Orchestra, Burgas Philarmonic Orchestra and Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra.
Up to now, she has played under the baton of İnci Özdil, Ivan Bakalov, Burkhon Buriev, Georgi Cemsirov, Ivan Kojucharov, Pero Petrovski, Slavil Dimitrov, Dimitar Panov and İbrahim Yazıcı.
Gülden Gökşen is currently busy as a piano teacher, performer and continues her academic career as a professor at the State Conservatory of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul.
Samir Mirzayev(Mirzoev) was born in Baku, Azerbaijan. He got concert artist, chamber music soloist, accompanist titles by graduating Azerbaijan State Conservatory with the certificate of merit in 1993 and become associate professor of Baku Music Academy in Azerbaijan in 2007.
He worked as instructor in Baku Music Academy between 1993-1998, as performance artist of Antalya State Symphony Orchestra between 1998-2002, and works as instructor in Antalya State Conservatory since 2002.
Samir Mirzoev got his proficiency in art degree in the classes of Prof. Oktay Abbaskuliev in Baku Music Academy between 1994-1996. Awarded prizes in national and international competitions in Lithuania (Vilnius), Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan, Baku), Turkmenistan (Ashkabad), Bulgaria (Dobrich) and performed concerts with accompaniments of Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra, Ukraine Kiev Glier Institute Academic Orchestra, Russia Makhachkala State Symphony Orchestra, Azerbaijan State Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. He become founder member of SoNoR Contemporary Music Center in Azerbaijan in 1996 and performed as soloist and together with other members in Azerbaijan, Russia, Austria, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Moldavia, Estonia, Turkey, Georgia, Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Turkmenistan, Northerm Cyprus, Ukraine and Bulgaria between 1993-2019.
Mirzoev officiated as jury in international competitions at :
“Pera-Piano” (2007-2019, Istanbul, Turkey),
“Gradus ad Parnassum” (2010, Kaunass, Lithuania),
“Citta di Ostuni” (2012, Ostuni, Italy),
“Carmel-Debut”(2015, Indianapolis, USA),
“Edelweiss”(2016, 2017, 2019 Wien, Austria),
“Eto Pesnya Tvoya I Moya” (2014,2018, Makhachkala, Russia).
Samir Mirzoev received his Ph.D. (in Art Study) in 2015.
He made presentations titled “Finger Technique Usage in Chopin Interpretation” in Chopin 200 Symposium (2010), “A General look at Piano Concertos of Liszt” in Liszt 200 Symposium (2011) in Hacettepe University in Ankara, titled “Ukraine-Azerbaijan: Dialogues in Aspect of Contemporary Music” in international Cultural Dialogues (2011) in Kiev, Ukraine.
His books entitled “Explanation of contemporary interpretation symbols in piano technique”(2010), “Contemporary symbols of piano notation in Azerbaijan music” (2019) have been published in Baku, Azerbaijan. His articles have been published in Azeri, English, Turkish, Lithuanian, Bulgarian and Russian.
Gülsin Onay's subsequent, truly international, career has spanned 80 countries across all continents, from Venezuela to Japan. Gülsin Onay has given concerts in the major musical centres of the world.
An exceptional Chopin interpreter, Gülsin Onay was in 2007 honoured with the award of a State Medal by the Polish nation. She is also acknowledged worldwide as the finest interpreter of the music of A.Adnan Saygun, whose works feature prominently in her concerts and recordings, and whose 2nd Piano Concerto (which she has premiered in Turkey and abroad) was dedicated to her.
“An exceptional pianist, endowed with virtuosic brilliance and boundless energy, and an interpretive power both intelligent and emotionally sensitive”, Gülsin Onay has recorded 20 albums that illustrate the breadth of her repertoire as well as her interpretive power.
Gülsin Onay takes a special interest in the promotion of charitable causes, giving charity concerts around the world – most recently for children in Lebanon, under the auspices of UNICEF, whose Turkish National Committee appointed her “Goodwill Ambassador” in 2003. Since its inception in 2004, Gülsin Onay has been the artistic advisor of the Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival.
Zerin Rasul began her music education at the Tashkent State Conservatory, where she was accepted to the school for highly gifted children at the age of six. She graduated from here with the highest marks in 1982. At age ten, she performed with Tashkent State Philharmonic Orchestra and the Ferghana Symphony Orchestra. Between 1982-87, she continued her studies with Uzbekistan State Artist Professor A. Gekkelmann at the Tashkent State Conservatory. In 1985, she won third prize at the Republic of Uzbekistan Piano Competition, and in 1986, second prize at the Republic of Uzbekistan Chamber Music Competition. The same year, she won second prize at the music and fine arts competition organised by the St. Petersburg Arts Academy. In 1987, she graduated from the conservatory with the highest honours, and received the titles of concert pianist, chamber musician, pedagogue and correpetitor. She went on to complete her doctorate degree at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with the famous Russian pianist and Russia State Artist Professor M. Voskressensky, receiving the diploma of "Concert Pianist and Superior Interpretation". In 1990, she worked as part of teaching staff at the Piano Department and as correpetitor at the Strings Department of Tashkent State Conservatory. She gave recitals in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. She did various recordings for radio and television in Uzbekistan, and frequently performed with the Uzbekistan Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist. She further participated in various international competitions. Zerin Rasul currently lives in Turkey and along with her solo and chamber music projects, continues to teach at the Piano Department of Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts.
Polina Abramovna Tsokurenko, the People’s Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Honored Culture Worker, Professor of the Kyrgyz National Conservatory of Music named after K. Moldobasanov.
Polina Tsokurenko began to study music at the age of five, and, after finishing the school of music, entered the College of Music named after M. Glinka (now the Dnepropetrovsk Academy of Music named after M. Glinka), which graduated with excellence.
She continued her education at the Gnessin State Institute of Music in Moscow, Russia. Now this higher educational institution is known as the Russian State Academy of Music named after the Gnessins. Polina Tsokurenko graduated from the Gnessin State Institute with a “red diploma” of excellence. The talented pianist was accepted as an assistant intern in class of the outstanding Soviet musician Alexander L. Joсheles, and graduated with honors. In the course of the studies Polina Tsokurenko participated in the First all -Russian Piano Competition in Moscow, Russia, and received the honorary diploma and the Special Award of the competition. She was also a diploma winner at the 3rd all – Russian Piano competition.
In 1970 Polina Tsokurenko became a Laureate of the 4th International piano contest of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. At the same year on graduation assignment she arrived in Kyrgyzstan, to work at the Kyrgyz State institute of Arts named after B. Beishenalieva. Polina Abramovna is an brilliant performer and an outstanding educator. She managed to bring together creativeand pedagogical activities, working at the same time at the State Specialized School of Music named after M. Abdraev. She took an active part in the formation of this musical institution.
In the time between 1970 and the 1990s she had numerous concerts of classical music, both as solo recitals or with the chamber orchestra of the Kyrgyz National Philarmonic named after T. Satylganov.
In 1980, Polina Tsokurenko was awarded the scholarly degree of an Associate Professor. The Golden Fund of the Kyrgyz Radio keeps the recordings of the compositions by the Kyrgyz authors, as well as the world masterpieces of classical music performed by Polina Tsokurenko.
In 1991 she founded the Children’s Academy of Music, which subsequently was renamed, for its great achievements in education, into the Presidential Childrens’ Academy of Music “Altyn Shaty”. Polina Tsokurenko had been the permanent Director of this school for many years. Many well-known musicians, the winners of international music contests were the graduates of the “Altyn Shaty” school, as Emil Sakanov (now a leading singer of the Kazakh Opera), or Leila Asanbekova (now studies as postgraduate in France) and others.
In 1994 Polina Tsokurenko received the degree of a Professor at the Kyrgyz State Conservatory of Music. In 1995 she was awarded the title of the Honored Arts Worker of the Kyrgyz Republic. During the years of her work she had raised about 200 students at the State Conservatory of Music and at the Abdraev Specialized School of Music. Among them is the honored artist of Kyrgyzstan Emil Atageldiev; the Directors of the musical schools: G. Djorobekova ( the Arts School in Kayseri, Turkey) and G. Suranchieva ( the Shubin School of Music, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan); head teachers and executives of piano departments, like E. Ilipaeva (the Abdraev School of Music, Bishkek), T. Feshchenko (The School of Arts № 4) and many others.
The geography of Polina Tsokurenko’s pedagogical activities includes Russia, USA, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and other countries.
In 2004 she received the highest award from the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the title of the Peoples’ Artist of Kyrgyz Republic.
Polina Tsokurenko is continuously leading a widespread educational activities for the public. . At the Kyrgyz Conservatory of Music she organized a series of public lectures and concerts dedicated to the masterpieces of the classical music in a series of programs entitled “P. A. Welcomes”. These concerts/conversations are popular among the students and teachers of different educational institutions, willing to participate in these activities.
In 2017 Polina Tsokurenko performed a series of concerts/conversations at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Polina Tsokurenko has been repeatedly invited to participate in the jury of many international and domestic piano competitions, in Russia, Turkmenistan, France, Italy, Israel, Poland and other countries. She teaches master classes and seminars.