Celil Refik Kaya

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Celil Refik Kaya

Biography

Born in Istanbul Turkey, Kaya began his interest in classical guitar at the age of six with his father, Dr. Mehmet Refik Kaya. His early primary instructors included educators such as Yusuf Doğan Büyüköğüt and Raffi Arslanyan. One of Kaya's early concerts was in 1999 at the age of 7 at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul, Turkey where he was featured as a guest artist. He appeared at the concert hall as a guest artist in years 2000 and 2002, and in 2006 and 2009 he performed as a solo artist.

Dr. Celil Refik Kaya received his Bachelor's of music from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory, his Masters of music from Mannes School of Music The New School, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. He studied under Adam Holzman of the University of Texas at Austin, Michael Newman of Mannes School of Music, and Sharon Isbin of the Juilliard School.

Competitions

2003: 2nd prize at Forum Guitarre Wien at age 12


2009: 3rd prize at the 30th Naxos International Guitar Competition at age 17 in the adult category


2009: 1st prize at the International Guitar Days in Pera, Istanbul.


2010: 1st prize at the Young Virtuosos Competition in Sophia, Bulgaria.


2012: 1st prize at the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition

2012: 2nd prize at the Guitar Foundation of America

2013: 1st prize at the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society Competition

2014: 1st prize at the Indian Guitar Festival and Competition

2014: 2nd prize at Schadt String Competition 


2015: 1st prize Texas International Guitar Competition 


2016: 1st prize at the Boston GuitarFest Competition

Career and Awards

Kaya is the youngest First Prize winner at age 20 in the 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition[1] with the Buffalo Philharmonic. He is one of two three-time prizewinners of the Guitar Foundation of America International Guitar Competition[2], prizewinner of international guitar competitions including Sofia Bulgaria, Naxos Greece, Vienna, Istanbul, and throughout the United States, highlighted award winner in the Indiana International Guitar Competition[3], Boston Guitar Competition, Texas International Guitar Competition[4], Schadt String Competition[5], and Philadelphia Guitar Competition[6]. In May of 2017 he was awarded “Rising Young Musician of the Year” by the Donizettti Classical Music Awards in Istanbul[7].

As a concert soloist, he has collaborated with professional orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony[8], Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Turkey[9], Istanbul State Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, Brevard Festival Orchestra[10], Lake Placid Sinfonietta, Bilkent Symphony and many others. He has also conducted masterclasses in music festivals and universities throughout the United States and Turkey. Dr. Kaya has presented the premieres of concertos by Roberto Sierra (Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), Derwyn Holder (New Jersey Baroque Orchestra), Leonard Handler, and Suleyman Alnitemiz (Istanbul State Symphony).

Dr. Kaya performed on the D'Addario Performance Series at Carnegie Hall, The Frick Collection Museum in NYC Summer Artists series, New York Guitar Seminar Festival at Mannes College, Round Top Festival in Texas, Brevard Music Festival, Raritan River Music Festival and Ankara International Music Festival.

Awards

2010: Turkish Educational Association Scholarship for Superior Success


2012: Excellence in Performance Award from Mannes School of Music-The New School


2013: Harrington Fellowship from the University of Texas at Austin


2016: The Presser Foundation Award 


2017: Donizetti Music Award for Rising Young Musician
 of the Year

2017: Third Recipient of the Early Career Musician Fellowship at Harvard University's Dumbarton Oaks


Celil Refik Kaya is the third recipient of Harvard’s Dumbarton Oaks –Early Career Musician Fellowship[16] as well as holding the Harrington Fellowship at The University of Texas at Austin under the study of guitarist Adam Holzman.

Recordings

Dr. Kaya’s first recording, Jorge Morel Guitar Music released November 11, 2016[11] Kaya has also recorded the works of Carlo Domeniconi with Naxos Records produced by Norbert Kraft and will be released April 13, 2018. In the 2017-2018 season, Kaya has also finished the last two volumes of Paraguayan composer, Agustín Barrios Mangore. Dr. Kaya has been invited for more projects to record for Naxos Music Label.

Guitar Music of Agustín Barrios Mangore Vol. 4 Naxos Records Guitar Collection Producer: Norbert Kraft Guitar: Glenn Canin 2012

Guitar Music of Agustín Barrios Mangore Vol. 5 Naxos Records Guitar Collection Producer: Norbert Kraft Guitar: Glenn Canin 2012

Guitar Music of Jorge Morel[13] Naxos Records Guitar Collection Naxos 8.573514 01:05:16 This is the first volume and world premiere recording of Jorge Morel's guitar music by Naxos Records. It includes Prelude and Celil's Dance , a piece dedicated to Celil Refik Kaya. Producer: Norbert Kraft Guitar: Gary Lee 4/2018

Guitar Music of Carlo Domeniconi[14] Naxos Records Guitar Collection Naxos 8.573675 00:54:59 Award-winning soloist Celil Refik Kaya includes his own improvisation and the original folk song by Âşık Veysel that is the basis of Domeniconi's Variations on an Anatolian Folk Song. Producer: Norbert Kraft Guitar: Glenn Canin 2016

Stars of the Guitar[15] BPO Highlights of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition Beau Fleuve 94982 02:40:00 This album includes the New York premiere of Roberto Sierra's Folias for guitar and Orchestra. It is a live recording from the final round of JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition from 2012. . Guitar: Michael Wichmann

Subh-u Seher Ulus Müzik Arranged 17th century Ottoman composers Ali Ufki and Prince Dimitri Cantemir's works for ensemble as well as played the Turkish lute. Celil Refik Kaya played as the guitarist in the Dr. Mehmet Refik Kaya's ensemble. 2005 Ruhnüvaz Kalan Plak Celil Refik Kaya played guitar parts in rebab virtuoso Dr. Mehmet Refik Kaya's first solo album.

Published Compositions and Arrangements

Kaya is also known as a composer where he has more than 100 pieces including works for orchestra, solo guitar, violin, piano, string trio, duets and many others. His selected works were published by Les Productions d’Oz in Canada and FDPublications in the United States.

Les Productions D'OZ[17]

Sonatina for solo guitar

Longing for solo guitar

Dream for guitar and flute

Baião for solo guitar

At the Party for guitar solo

Three Venezuelan Waltzes for solo guitar

Petite Waltz for guitar solo

Morning in the Village by Cinüçen Tanrikorur arranged for solo guitar by Celil Refik Kaya

Suite of the Witches for solo guitar

For Yen for solo guitar

6 Pieces for guitar duo

Lonestar Ballad for guitar ensemble

FDPublications[18]

Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados arranged for solo guitar by Celil Refik Kaya

Kürdilihicazkar Saz Semaisi for solo microtonal guitar

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