A musical virtuoso from Turkey is one of three rising stars performing at a classical music concert in London later this month. Award-winning Salih Can Gevrek will take to the stage at St James’s Church on Wednesday, 27 November, as part of a special programme by music charity Talent Unlimited.
Already an accomplished solo pianist Salih, 27, is known for his crisp technique. Playing the piano since the age of 5, his talent was spotted at a young age and he was admitted to the prestigious Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Drama Preparatory School in Ankara at the age of 7. He continued his studies at Bilkent University, Ankara, with Gulnara Aziz until 2011, when he was accepted into the Royal College of Music London.
He’s won numerous international accolades, winning his first prize at the age 10 at the Eskişehir Anadolu University International Young Pianists Competition. His success continued with a prize at the Lubomir Pipkov International Piano Competition in Bulgaria, laureate in the Moscow State Conservatory International Piano Competition, and 1st Prize in the Kamuran Gündemir Piano Competition. He was awarded the ‘Selçuk-Kamuran Gündemir’ Special Prize and came first in the Gümüşlük International Piano Competition.
Salih is currently taking an Artist Diploma degree with Dmitri Alexeev supported by a Russell Race Award.
A rapidly emerging star, Salih has performed in masterclasses with renowned pianists including Dmitri Bashkirov, Boris Berezovsky, Leonid Margarius, Edna Golandsky, Özgür Aydın and İdil Biret. Firmly established as a soloist, he has performed with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Ankara Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
He has also performed solo recitals in international music festivals, such as the Antalya Piano Festival, ‘Three Choirs Festival’ Worcester, Bosch Young Classical Musicians Festival, and the Granada Music Festival in Spain.
His solo recital for the Ankara Music Festival 2011 was highly praised, and broadcast live on national radio in Spain and Turkey.
As a ‘Talent Unlimited’ artist, he has performed in celebrated London venues such as Steinway Hall, Steinway 160th Anniversary ‘Arabesque’ Launch, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St James Piccadilly, Elgar Room of Royal Albert Hall, and Cadogan Hall.
In the autumn of 2018, Salih was accepted into the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel in Louis Lortie’s piano section as an Artist in Residence.
An avid chamber musician, Salih frequently plays trios with fellow students presenting recitals for diverse events including the Royal Albert Hall’s ‘Classical Coffee Morning Series’, the ‘London Music Chamber Series’, and the ‘Belle Shenkman Music Programme’ at the National Gallery.
Violinist Emmanuel Bach and Jack Wong Conductor of Hornton Chamber Orchestra will be performing alongside Salih at the St James’s Church concert at the end of November.
The event is staged by Talent Unlimited, a classical music charity providing exposure, mentoring and financial aid to music students (18+) of great talent but limited means. The charity is run by volunteers, ensuring the organisation has minimal expenses and the bulk of funds raised can be dedicated to supporting the musicians.
Concert details
Event: Talent Unlimited concert: Salih Can Gevrek, Emmanuel Bach, Jack Wong
Date: Wednesday 27 November 2019
Time: 19:00 to 22:00 GMT
Venue: St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL.
Tickets: £5.98 – £22.15, available online from Eventbrite
