Füsun Köksal

composer

biography

Currently based in İzmir-Turkey, Füsun Köksal is a composer whose works have recently been programmed in various contemporary music festivals such as Berliner Festspiele MaerzMusik (Germany), Schleswig Holstein Music Festival (Germany), Warsaw Autumn (Poland), Via Stellae Festival (Spain), Forum Neuer Musik (Germany), Berlin Young Euro Classic (Germany), Fertile Crescent (USA), Mise-En Music Festival (USA), Centre Acanthes (France), Bilkent New Music Days (Turkey), Dias de Musica Electroacustica (Portugal), Timsonia (Romania), KNM Contemporaries (Germany), NOW Festival (Germany), and Centre Acanthes (France). 

Recently received the Mario Merz Prize (Italy) in music composition of 2022, Köksal is recipient of numerous international awards including the 6th International Henri Dutilleux Composition Competition (France) and 3rd International German-Polish Composition Prize (Germany). She won several awards of the SCI/ASCAP composition commissions (USA) and was nominated for the 3rd Pablo Casals Award in 2009 (France). Her Three New Guitar Pieces, are selected as winner of International Contemporary Composition “The Contemporary Guitar”, Athens in 2018 (Greece). Füsun Köksal was awarded the Civitella Ranieri Music Fellowship (CRF2018) (USA) and the MacDowell residency fellowship in 2023.

The prominent ensembles and performers who have featured her music include Derek Bermel, Agata Igras, Richard Haynes, Horia Dumitrache, Alfredo Ovalles, Matei Ioachimescu, Cem Önertürk, International Ensemble Modern Academy, E-Mex Ensemble, Penderecki String Quartet, Ensemble Calliopée, Ensemble U, Hezarfen Ensemble, Pacifica Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Dafo Quartet, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Turkish National Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Vertix Sonore. Her works has been conducted by distinguished conductors, such as Pierre-André Valade, Julien Masmondet, Christoph-Mathias Mueller, Anu Tali, Christoph Maria Wagner, Cliff Colnot, Cem Mansur, and Diego Mason.

Köksal graduated from Hochschule für Musik Köln studied with Krzysztof Meyer, and received her Ph.D in composition from The University of Chicago, studied with Marta Ptaszynska and Shulamit Ran. Her works has been published by PWM (Poland), Edition Dohr (Germany), and Bachovich Music Publications (USA) and broadcast by Südwestfunk (Germany) and Deutschlandfunk (Germany), and Klassikaraadio (Estonia).

Köksal served as lecturer at the University of Chicago and Bilkent University,  as Visiting Assistant Professor of Theory and Composition at the University of Pittsburgh and Middlebury College. She works as Associate Professor at Yaşar University, İzmir, currently on a Fulbright Academic Research Fellowship in University of Chicago as visiting scholar. Since 2019 Füsun Köksal is the artistic director of İzmir New Music Days.

External Links:

Mario Merz Prize

MacDowell Fellowship

Civitella Ranieri News

Yasar University page

You can listen to some of Köksal’s works at soundcloud

news and events

2024

Fulbright Visiting Scholar, The University of Chicago

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022) for ensemble, January 1, Das Neue Ensemble -Musik für Heute, Hannover

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022) for ensemble, January 15, E-Mex Ensemble, Münster

Dances of the Black Sea (2014) for solo flute, Lorena Bulgheroni, Zürcher Hochschule der Kunst

On Reminiscence (2023) for String Orchestra, February, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Dir. Giampaolo Pretto

Composer Talk, April 15, University of North Texas

Ben Sen O – Three Nazım Hikmet Settings (2023) for voice and bass clarinet, May 10, Peyee Chen, Nina Janssen-Deinzel, Cologne

Ben Sen O – Three Nazım Hikmet Settings (2023) for voice and bass clarinet, May 11, Peyee Chen, Nina Janssen-Deinzel, Cologne

Composer Talk, May14, University of Chicago

voce rotta (2018-19) for flute and piano, May 19, Da Capo Chamber Players, Catherine-Boyack-Steve Beck, New York

Words by Words (2023) for bass clarinet and violoncello, May 26, Duo Gross/Schouten, St. Ruprecht-Vienna

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022) for ensemble, September, E-Mex Ensemble, Cologne

İzmir New Music Days-V, Artistic Director, October 28-30, İzmir

Words by Words (2023) for bass clarinet and violoncello, Nov. 17, Duo Gross/Schouten, Nijmegen

2023

Received Fulbright Academic Research Fellowship

MacDowell Residency Fellowship, Jan.5-27, Peterborough, NH

Four Miniatures for Xylophone (2009), March 22, Brandon Waters, UNT, Texas-Denton

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022) for ensemble, June 13, E-Mex Ensemble, Essen

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, October 8, E-Mex Ensemble, Bonn

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, November 9, Das Neue Ensemble -Musik für Heute, Hannover

quelle’d (2020) for ensemble. Ensemble für Zeitgenossische Musik der ZHdK, Dir. Pierre-André Valade. Nov. 17, Zürich

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, November 22, E-Mex Ensemble, İzmir

New Music Days İzmir-IV November 19-22, 2023

Dances of the Black Sea (2014), December 4, Cem Önertürk, İstanbul

2022

String Quartet No.1 (2006) E-Mex Ensemble, Dec. 20, Pullheim

Dances of the Black Sea (2013) for solo flute, Cem Önertürk, Nov. 29, İstanbul

Mario Merz Prize (2022), 4th edition-İtaly

quelled over (2021) for large ensemble, Oct. 16, Wadi Ensemble, Finalists Concert-Mario Merz Prize, Palermo

voce immobile (2017-18), for bass clarinet Sept. 27, Nina Janssen Deinzer, İzmir

voce immobile (2017-18), for bass clarinet Sept. 24, Nina Janssen Deinzer, Ankara

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, Sept. 8, E-Mex Ensemble, Essen

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, Sept. 4, E-Mex Ensemble, İstanbul

Satze-Wörter-Zeichen (2022), for ensemble, Sept. 3, E-Mex Ensemble, İstanbul

Artist Residency Aug. 10- Sept-6, VCCA, USA

Composer talk July 28, Bowdoin International Music Festival

String Quartet No. 1 (2006) July 23, Weekend of Chamber Music Festival, NY

Presentation June 17th, XV. International Musical Signification Congress, Barcelona

Composition Seminar May 30, 2022, MSGSÜ, İstanbul

New Music Days İzmir-III May 24-25, 2022

Music for String  Quintet and piano May 15, Pantheon Ensemble, Cleveland

Music for String  Quintet and piano May 13, Pantheon Ensemble, Cleveland

New Work for Flute and Organ (in progress) Evelin Degen and Matthias Geuting. (Recording for QUERSTAND label.)

Composer talk March 30, Boston Conservatory of Music

2021

Presentation September 20, EuroMac-10-online participation-Moscow

String Quartet No. 1 (2006) Weekend of Chamber Music. Ciompi String Quartet. Nov. 13, Honesdale, PA

String Quartet No. 1 (2006) Weekend of Chamber Music. Ciompi String Quartet. July 17, New York

quelle’d over (2021) for ten musicians. Finalists concert. Mario Merz Prize. Date: TBA., Torino, Italy

Fleurant for Shulamit Ran (2015) for piano. Erato Alakiozidou.

         September 11. Madrid

         September 13, Granada

         September 17,Puigcerda

2020 

voce immobile (2017-18) for solo bass clarinet. KNM Contemporaries. Horia Dumitrache. Dec. 12, Berlin

quelle’d (2020) for ensemble. Now Festival. E-Mex Ensemble, Dir. Christoph Maria Wagner. Nov. 1, Essen

String Quartet No. 1 (2006) Weekend of Chamber Music. Ciompi String Quartet. July 12, New York (postponed)

Deux Visions pour sextuor (2009) for sextet. Ensemble Norbotten Neo. Feb.3, Pieta

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Jennifer Lau. New Music Festival. Jan. 17. Sunny Stony Brook Univ., New York

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Cem Önertürk. Jan. 11, Ankara

2019

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Cem Önertürk. Dec. 11, Bursa

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Cem Önertürk. Nov. 29, Istanbul

String Quartet No. 1 (2006). Ciompi String Quartet. Nov. 24, Duke Univ.

String Quartet No. 1 (2006). Ciompi String Quartet. Nov. 10, Duke Univ.

String Quartet No. 1 (2006). Ciompi String Quartet. Nov. 5, Duke Univ.

Silent Echoes for 32 String Instuments (2018-19). Yound Euro Classics Festival.Turkish National Youth Orchestra (TUGFO). Dir. Cem Mansur. July 24, Berlin

Silent Echoes for 32 String Instuments (2018-19). TUGFO. Dir. Cem Mansur. July 22, Istanbul

Silent Echoes for 32 String Instuments (2018-19). TUGFO. Dir. Cem Mansur. July 21, Istanbul.

Silent Echoes for 32 String Instuments (2018-19). Yasar Univ. Orchestra. Dir. Soren Nils Eichberg. March 21, Izmir

voce rotta (2018) for flute and piano. Ensemble U. March 19, Tallinn

2018

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Agata Igras. Nov. 29, Riga

voce rotta (2018) for flute and piano.Timsonia Festival. Duo Alfredo Ovalles-Matei İoachimescu. Nov. 21, Timisoara

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Cem Önertürk. Nov. 17, Ankara

String Quartet No. 1 (2006). Hezarfen Ensemble. Nov. 16, Cologne

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. National Flute Association Convention.  August, Orlando           

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. Agata Igras. July, Aveiro

Dances of The Black Sea (2013) for solo flute. 10th Summer Academy at the Academy of Music

         Agata Igras. July, Lodz

voce immobile (2017-18)for solo bass clarinet. Richard Haynes. Feb. 22, Huddersfield

Shiftings (2014) for bass clarinet and percussion. Vasko Dukovsky-Josh Perry. Feb., New York