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Cenk Erdoğan
Composer
Cenk Erdoğan is one of the most important figures in Turkish jazz, a globally recognized guitar virtuoso, composer and arranger known for his expertise on fretless guitar and his original style blending traditional Turkish maqam music with jazz harmony, and a Grammy Award winner. Born in Istanbul in 1979, he won a scholarship to Istanbul Bilgi University's Music (Composition) department in 1997, graduating top of his class in 2001, and studied jazz composition and guitar techniques under masters like Kamil Özler and Neşet Ruacan during his university years; drawing on the techniques of traditional instruments like the bağlama and tanbur, he developed a distinctive style on fretless guitar and was invited to lead workshops at Berklee College of Music and Queens College of Music thanks to his original approach. He released his debut solo album "İle" in 2008, followed by acclaimed records including "Kavis," "Kara Kutu" and "Storytellers," recorded with Antonio Forcione, and composed the score for Çağan Irmak's film "Issız Adam" (2008), winning the Yeşilçam "Soundtrack of the Year" award; his contributions to global music projects and arrangement work have earned him a Grammy Award.
Upcoming events (1)
Past events
Frequently asked questions
Who is Cenk Erdoğan? ▾
Cenk Erdoğan is one of the most important figures in Turkish jazz, a globally recognized guitar virtuoso, composer and arranger known for his expertise on fretless guitar and his original style blending traditional Turkish maqam music with jazz harmony, and a Grammy Award winner. Born in Istanbul in 1979, he won a scholarship to Istanbul Bilgi University's Music (Composition) department in 1997, graduating top of his class in 2001, and studied jazz composition and guitar techniques under masters like Kamil Özler and Neşet Ruacan during his university years; drawing on the techniques of traditional instruments like the bağlama and tanbur, he developed a distinctive style on fretless guitar and was invited to lead workshops at Berklee College of Music and Queens College of Music thanks to his original approach. He released his debut solo album "İle" in 2008, followed by acclaimed records including "Kavis," "Kara Kutu" and "Storytellers," recorded with Antonio Forcione, and composed the score for Çağan Irmak's film "Issız Adam" (2008), winning the Yeşilçam "Soundtrack of the Year" award; his contributions to global music projects and arrangement work have earned him a Grammy Award.
Where does Cenk Erdoğan perform / which events are they playing? ▾
Cenk Erdoğan will perform at the following upcoming events: Babylon (Istanbul), Cenk Erdoğan & Antonio Forcione — 03 Dec 2026