Kevork Tavityan

He is the 4. conductor of Acappella Grup 34 Choir. Kevork Tavityan, who still conducts our choir, worked Baroque Programme since Fall 2008 Period which was the 8. Period. Currently he has been working Istanbul,The Last Capital programme in Fall 2009 Period which is the 10. Period. He was born in Istanbul in 1968 and graduated from the Opera Academy of the State Conservatory of Istanbul (Mimar Sinan University) in 1993 and achieved a Master of Performance degree at the same Academy in 1996.
He made his professional debut with the Opera of the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall in the role of Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’Amore in 1995 and has been singing for State Opera of Istanbul since 1998. Additional roles performed include Sultan Bey (Arsin Mal Alan/Uzeyir Hacibekov), Uberto (La Serva Padrona/Pergolesi), Osmin (Zaide/Mozart), Sagrestano (Tosca/ Puccini), Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana/Mascagni), Tonio (I Pagliacci/Leoncavallo), Lindorf, Dapertutto (Les Contes d’Hoffmann/Offenbach), Vater (Haensel und Gretel/ Humperdinck), Renato (Un Ballo In Maschera/Verdi), Rigoletto (Rigoletto), Marcello (La Boheme/Puccini), Germont (La Traviata/Verdi), Prince Igor (Prince Igor/Borodin), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly/Puccini), Belisario (Belisario/Donizetti) Papageno (Die Zauberflöte/Mozart), Malatesta (Don Pasquale/Donizetti).
Giving several recitals with lied and oratorio repertoire ranging from Bach’s Cantatas, Selman Ada’s Blue Point, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Gounod’s St. Cecile Messe and Schubert’s Winterreise and Die Schöne Müllerin.
He appeared as soloist in numerous International Music Festivals held in Istanbul and Izmir as well as the Opera Festival of Aspendos with major State Operas of Turkey.
He had successful performances in globally acknowledged arts centers, such as Paris, Munich, Montreal. Currently he is working in State Opera of İstanbul. He is also appointed as conductor to the State Opera Chamber Choir.

Markus BAISCH

He is the 3. conductor of Acappella Grup 34 Choir. He worked the popular programme, the madrigal programme, Atatürk and Music, and Mozart Mania programmes from Fall 2006 period until Fall 2008 period. Before accomplishing the baroque programme that he worked in Fall 2008 period, he was appointed to Samsun as required by his occupation. He started playing the piano at the age of 6. When he was 7 years old he joined the "Stuttgarter Hymnus- Chorknaben", a well- known boys- choir. He also took private lessons in classical singing and in playing the church- organ
At the "Musikhochschule Freiburg" he studied conducting ( H.-M. Beuerle, P. Ringborg), singing ( W.Toll), and piano ( J. Avery) and he graduated the masterclass for orchestra- conducting ( Peter Gülke)
During his studies he became the member of various professional choirs, such as "Camerata Vocale Freiburg", "Anton-Webern-Choir", and "Stuttgarter Kammerchor“
Besides, he was the conductor of one orchestra and three different choirs
He successfully participated at "E. Ericsons masterclass“
He was guest- conductor of the "Frankfurter Kantorei", "Kölner Bachverein", various orchestras and choirs
He officiated as a korepetitor (accompanist) at the opera- houses in Freiburg, Giessen and Neuburg
2000 – 2003: He worked at the Opera Frankfurt as the assistant chorus-master, he conducted several children concerts and worked as the teacher for conducting at the "Musikhochschule Frankfurt“
2003 - 2006: He worked at the"Südthüringisches Staatstheater Meiningen“ as the chorus-master and conducted a lot of performances and concerts.
Since 2005 he also worked in this theatre as "2. Kapellmeister“ He worked in Istanbul State Opera and Ballet as the chorus-master and conductor between 2006-2008. Currently he is the musical director of Samsun State Opera and Ballet.

 

Yıldız KÜNUTKU

She is the 2. conductor of Acappella Grup 34. She worked the Popular Programme between the second and the third periods (Fall 2005-Spring 2006). She started her music life in Istanbul Municipality School of Music as the student of Ms.Rana Erksan. After completing Istanbul German College she entered Ankara State School of Music, Piano class and graduated from High Class in 1963 as the student of Prof. Mithat Fenmen. She studied with Prof.Dieter Webe at Vienna Music Academy. She joined to master courses of Köln Music Academy and studied with Prof. Hans Graf. In 1965 she joined Istanbul State Opera and Ballet and assisted to the conductors Mr.Muhiddin Sadak & Mr. Gustav Kuhn. She studied about choir conducting with Prof. Robert Wagner and accompanied to vocal concerts whether in Turkey and abroad. She conducted the choir of Istanbul State Opera and Ballet for many operas, operets and musicals. At present she is still continuing her performances in Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.

 

Ruhi AYANGİL

He is the first conductor of Acappella Grup34 Choir. He worked the Contemporary Turkish Music programme in Spring 2005 period which is the first period of our choir. Born in Istanbul in 1953. Graduate of Istanbul University Faculty of LAW.
Started playing kanun at the age of 10. Attanded, Advanced Turkish Music Conservatory, and Istanbul State Conservatory His concervatory training is in the field of vocal harmony. Studied piano, harmony and composition under Cemal Reşid Rey. He built his kanun playing technique upon the style of his mento H.F. Alnar.
1976-1986-Lecturer, Istanbul University State Turkish Music Conservatory.
1973-1981, directed the (Robert College) Boğaziçi University Chorus.Performed in Holland, Russia and Poland. Lectured at the same university on Comperative Music Theory and History.
1980, he performed Alnar’s Kanun Concerto for the first time with conductor Hikmet Şimşek, and repeated his performances 31 times with different conductors.Recorded this concerto with Oredea Philarmonic Orchestra-Hungary.
1983, he founded Ayangil Turkish Music Orchestra and Chorus.
1988, awarded as the “Artist of the Year-Turkey” Title presented by the Turkish Writers Association . USA-JASEES TYOP awarded him with the prize "Cultural Achievement for Turkey" for the recording “Uyan Ey Gözlerim”,casette, which presents twelve 400-year-old hymns, compiled by Ali Ufki.
1989-1992,gave instrumental Kanun concerts in Rhodes, London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Seville and Moscow .
1993-1994 he gave seminars in Manchester and London on Kanun & the Development Stages of Turkish Music.
1980-1996 Participated all the international Istanbul Festivals.Conducted Ayangil Turkish Music Orchestra and chorus, and performed the world premieres of the polyphonic Turkish Music compositions,composed for this music group by contemporary Turkish Composers.
1992 - ATMOC Participated International Helsinki Festival Currently he is lecturing and the assistant dean of Istanbul Yıldız Technical University , Arts And Design Faculty. He has been awarded several times for his research into the roots of Turkish music and its evolution. He is a theacher, composer, conductor and a Kanun player. Conducted numerous classical and modern Turkish Makam Music concerts all over the world including,Europe, USA; Asia, Africa.

Jonathan RATHBONE
He is the arranger of Acappella Rock Program

He studied at Cambridge and at the Royal Academy of Music.
He joined the Swingle Singers in 1984, with whom he toured for three years and became the musical director, arranger and manager of the group. He sang with the Swingle Singers for twelve years, and during that time created the majority of their arrangements. His style is ecclectic, and never borng. He has arranged hundreds of charts in styles as varied as jazz scat, classical, close harmony, avant garde, and just about everything in between. He has also written for classical orchestra, radio orchestra big band, string quartet, brass group etc. just about every imaginable style. Jonathan is an internationally celebrated composer, arranger and performer. He has worked with many of the world's leading musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez and Steve Reich to Stephan Grappelli and George Martin.
He now teaches at the Forest School and runs a Swingle type Octet, the "Forest Singers". He is today a freelance arranger, orchestrator and composer.