Legendary Turkish violinist Ayla Erduran has passed away

Ayla Erduran, who gained worldwide fame with her concerts in Turkey and many parts of the world, has passed away at the age of 90. Pianist Gülsin Onay announced the passing of Erduran, one of the first generation of artists of the Republic, on her social media account.

Gülsin Onay shared the following message:

"What a great loss… We have lost Ayla Erduran. Our great violinist, our unique musician is no longer with us. The hearts she touched with her art and music will always remember her. The emotions she kept alive with her music and the traces she left behind will not be erased.

May God have mercy on her, may she rest in peace. Condolences to her loved ones, her family, and our music community. We will always remember how lucky we were that such an artist passed through these lands."

'SHE PLAYED WITH HER HEART'

Pianist Fazıl Say also included the following statements in a post on his Instagram account:

"I learned with deep sadness that the very valuable Ayla Erduran passed away today.

Ayla Erduran was an extraordinary violinist, a true musician. For years, we grew up with her concerts, and we learned a lot by knowing an artist with a free and independent spirit like her.

Ayla played with her heart. She put her soul into every note; in her long 90-year life, with its joys and sorrows, everything life brought and took away was fully reflected in the music she made with all its nature. She was a sensitive artist.

She was brave.

On one hand, she was a 'wounded soul'—characteristic of true artistry.

Ayla was a close family friend of ours, both of Ahmet Say and mine…

The photo you see is from 2006, from an 'Ahmet Say Award Night' concert in Ankara. We had played chamber music with Ayla and Cihat.

Condolences to us all.

The music world has lost an important value.

Rest in light, dear Ayla Erduran."

WHO IS AYLA ERDURAN?

She was born in Istanbul on August 22, 1934.

She began playing the violin at the age of 4 as a student of Karl Berger. She gave her first recital at the age of ten at the Saray Cinema, accompanied by Ferdi Ştatzer.

Between 1946 and 1951, she studied at the Paris Conservatory and graduated from the violin department with top honors. Between 1951 and 1955, she studied privately in the USA with the Armenian Ivan Galamyan, one of the most important violin teachers of the 20th century, and the violin virtuoso Zino Francescatti. She gave her first concert in the USA in Newark with an orchestra conducted by Thomas Schermann.

She began her concert career in Europe in Poland, playing Glazunov's violin concerto accompanied by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.

Between 1957 and 1958, she studied with David Oistrakh at the Moscow Conservatory. In the 1957 Wieniawski competition, she placed in the top six out of one hundred and twenty violinists and won an award.

She toured in various cities in Europe, South America, and in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, India, Africa, Russia, Azerbaijan, and many corners of Turkey. In 1963, she went on a Middle East tour with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and gave concerts in various parts of Anatolia.

In 1970, she won the Beethoven Prize in the Netherlands. In 1971, she received the title of State Artist of the Republic of Turkey.

In 1985, she recorded the Brahms concerto with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Paita. On the 100th anniversary of Jean Sibelius, she played the composer's violin concerto with the Suisse Romande Orchestra under the direction of Ansermet.

From 1973 until the 1990s, she taught at the Conservatoire Populaire in Switzerland and in the masterclass at the Lausanne Conservatory.

Her life was written as a biographical novel by Evin İlyasoğlu in 2002, titled "Ayla'yı Dinler misiniz?" (Would You Listen to Ayla?).

In 2012, she was honored with the "Médallie D'honneur – Médaille de Vermeil," presented by the Paris-based "Société d'Encouragement au Progrés" to individuals who "leave a mark and make a difference in their professions," awarded in conjunction with the French Senate.