Currently
Turkish State Choir, artistic director & conductor
Rezonans, artistic director & conductor
European Choral Association, artistic vice-president
International Federation of Choral Music, vice-president
World Youth Choir, artistic advisor
Choral Culture Association, founding president
World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 Istanbul, festival director
For speaking engagements, please contact Speaker Agency.
Rezonans, artistic director & conductor
European Choral Association, artistic vice-president
International Federation of Choral Music, vice-president
World Youth Choir, artistic advisor
Choral Culture Association, founding president
World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 Istanbul, festival director
For speaking engagements, please contact Speaker Agency.
Biography
Dr. Burak Onur Erdem, Principal Conductor of the Turkish State Choir, began his educational journey at Deutsche Schule Istanbul, later graduating with high honors from Boğaziçi University's Department of Political Science & International Relations and receiving the Rector’s Prize. He pursued further musical excellence with a Master's in Music Theory and a Ph.D. in Conducting from the ITU Centre for Advanced Studies in Music. At ITU, he engaged in advanced studies with Michael Ellison on harmony, Paul Whitehead on renaissance & baroque style, and Lynn Trepel on singing, and undertook postgraduate studies under Prof. Johannes Prinz at Kunstuniversität Graz. Dr. Erdem’s expertise was also shaped through international masterclasses with renowned conductors Maria Guinand, Georg Grün, Frieder Bernius, Michael Gohl, Denes Szabo, Volker Hempfling, and Anders Eby.
Dr. Erdem's early career was marked by winning Jugend Musiziert competitions in Cairo, Athens, Rome, and Nürnberg. With his choir Rezonans, he has won prizes in prestigious competitions such as Cork, Arezzo, Varna, and Marktoberdorf and has conducted concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Greece, bringing diverse choral music to international audiences.
In his role at the Turkish State Choir, Dr. Erdem has led the premiere and recording of numerous new choral pieces, performing these works around the world. He is also a co-founder of the Walter Strauss Choral Conducting Masterclass in Ankara, significantly impacting the field of choral conducting education.
As the founding president of the Choral Culture Association, Dr. Erdem has built a community of choirs and choral experts in Türkiye, achieving significant milestones such as hosting the General Assembly & Conference of the European Choral Association in Cappadocia, founding the Turkish National Youth Choir, organizing annual Choral Marathons, and initiating the Turkish Choral Music Library.
Dr. Erdem has been invited as a jury member to prestigious competitions in Germany, Japan, and Italy, and looks forward to future engageents at the Singapore National Choral Competition, the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Varna, the Barcelona Choral Festival, and Vokalwoche in Austria. His influence extends to music commissions for Europa Cantat Festivals in Tallinn and Ljubljana, and he played a pivotal role in the Leading Voices Festival in Utrecht, with plans to actively contribute to the design of the next edition in Tallinn.
Beyond his performances and juristic contributions, Dr. Erdem served as the Festival Director of the World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 in Istanbul and currently acts as Vice-President of the European Choral Association and the International Federation of Choral Music.
Dr. Erdem is set to pioneer a choral conducting master's department at Bilkent University from the next season, reinforcing his commitment to the advancement of choral music education and practice.
Dr. Erdem's early career was marked by winning Jugend Musiziert competitions in Cairo, Athens, Rome, and Nürnberg. With his choir Rezonans, he has won prizes in prestigious competitions such as Cork, Arezzo, Varna, and Marktoberdorf and has conducted concerts in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Greece, bringing diverse choral music to international audiences.
In his role at the Turkish State Choir, Dr. Erdem has led the premiere and recording of numerous new choral pieces, performing these works around the world. He is also a co-founder of the Walter Strauss Choral Conducting Masterclass in Ankara, significantly impacting the field of choral conducting education.
As the founding president of the Choral Culture Association, Dr. Erdem has built a community of choirs and choral experts in Türkiye, achieving significant milestones such as hosting the General Assembly & Conference of the European Choral Association in Cappadocia, founding the Turkish National Youth Choir, organizing annual Choral Marathons, and initiating the Turkish Choral Music Library.
Dr. Erdem has been invited as a jury member to prestigious competitions in Germany, Japan, and Italy, and looks forward to future engageents at the Singapore National Choral Competition, the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Varna, the Barcelona Choral Festival, and Vokalwoche in Austria. His influence extends to music commissions for Europa Cantat Festivals in Tallinn and Ljubljana, and he played a pivotal role in the Leading Voices Festival in Utrecht, with plans to actively contribute to the design of the next edition in Tallinn.
Beyond his performances and juristic contributions, Dr. Erdem served as the Festival Director of the World Symposium on Choral Music 2023 in Istanbul and currently acts as Vice-President of the European Choral Association and the International Federation of Choral Music.
Dr. Erdem is set to pioneer a choral conducting master's department at Bilkent University from the next season, reinforcing his commitment to the advancement of choral music education and practice.
The Notion of Silence in Music by Burak Onur Erdem on Scribd |