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:
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