Turkish–Belgian pianist, composer, conductor, writer and educator
David Ezra Okonşar
David Ezra Okonşar (Turkish pronunciation:[oˈkonʃaɾ]; born 20 October 1961) is a Turkish–Belgian pianist, composer, conductor, writer, and educator. He was previously known as "Mehmet Okonşar".
After about a year-and-a-half studying at the Ankara Conservatory, the family moved to Belgium, where Okonşar entered the class of Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden [fr] at the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music. Vanden Eynden, who was to entirely re-shape the keyboard technique of Okonşar, is a dedicated follower of the style of Eduardo del Pueyo [fr].
The keyboard technique of del Pueyo and Vanden Eynden is based on the work of Marie Jaëll, a pupil of Franz Liszt.
A change of government in Turkey and the political turbulence of 1977 forced the Okonşar family to return to Ankara. Back at the Ankara Conservatory, Okonşar was enrolled in the class of Gülay Uğurata [tr] for piano and of Nevit Kodallı for musical composition. Okonşar did not attend either class with much consistency.
During this period, Okonşar was connected on both a friendly and a professional basis with the pianist and conductor Selman Ada. From this friendship, he learned the basics of the keyboard principles of Pierre Sancan, of whom Selman Ada has been a student.
Okonşar's first important recital took place in 1979: the program included Préludes by Messiaen and the Pictures of an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
Just before the military coup of 1980, the Okonşar family returned to Belgium, where Okonşar resumed studying with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden. In 1980, Okonşar was awarded the Premier Prix avec Distinction.[1] His program included the Dante Sonata by Liszt. His studies continued after the sudden death of his father with a special scholarship and he was awarded the [2] Diplôme Supérieur de Piano Avec la plus Grande Distinction, Premier Nommé in 1986 by performing the Piano Concerto Op. 42 by Arnold Schoenberg.
At the end of his piano studies, Okonşar had the privilege of working with one of the greatest composers of Belgium: Madame Jacqueline Fontyn. He also studied with a pupil of Messiaen, Claude Ballif. In 1989, he obtained his degrees in Composition-Orchestration from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels.
Alexis Weissenberg, after listening to a recording[3] by Okonşar, invited him to study in Switzerland on a scholarship.
Okonşar accepted Belgian citizenship in 1992, yet at the same time, the president of Turkey, Süleyman Demirel, awarded him the title "State Artist of the Turkish Republic," Okonşar settled in Turkey with his wife, the painter Lale Okonşar.
Okonşar now resides in Turkey, working a busy schedule concertizing, composing, writing, and teaching. He owns and manages a CD label exclusive to his own recordings, LMO-Records, and a publishing company, Inventor-musicæ".[4]
In August 2014, Okonşar took the first names: David Ezra.
Career
Jewish Music – A Concise Study by Mehmet Okonşar
Okonşar's international career began with the first prize at the International Young Virtuoses Competition of Antwerp in 1982. His orchestral début was the Third Concerto by Rachmaninoff performed at the deSingel (Internationale kunstencentrum deSingel)[5] in Antwerp. His other prizes are:
1989, Paris, "J. S. Bach" at the Salle Gaveau: second prize
1990, Rome, Association Chopin "Premio Etruria": first prize
The "Académie des Arts Contemporains" of Enghien, Belgium honored Okonşar in 1991 for his acoustic and electronic compositions the Gold and Bronze medals respectively.
In recital, Okonşar has appeared at London's Royal Opera House, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Kyoto, Bruxelles, Anvers, Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Rotterdam, Rome, Athens, Calgary, Salt Lake City, and Ljubljana.
Okonşar's noted concerts included the premiere in Turkey of the Concerto for Piano by Schoenberg and his performances of the Concerto for Piano by Lutoslawski in Poland.
Okonşar has served as a guest judge at the National Piano Competition of Japan[9] under the auspices of the P.T.N.A. (“Piano Teachers National Association”). His research on music and technology was presented in a lecture at the Yamaha headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan. Okonşar wrote and presented a documentary series on the National Television Broadcast of Turkey, the T.R.T.
Okonşar is a published writer in several music related periodicals in Turkey. His articles in Andante,[10] the most important Turkish periodical on classical music, feature imaginary interviews with "Mephisto"[11] on the subject of the global decadence of the quality of classical music, a subject often worked on by Okonşar. His other published subjects are mainly about musical composition, analysis, and music history.[12] Okonşar also publishes in English and French.
Robert Schumann, Fantasie in C major, Op. 17, and the "Études Symphoniques", Op. 13, including the "Five additional etudes", Op. post. published by Johannes Brahms after Schumann's death.
"Shadowy Arcade" free improvisations on solo piano
On other labels:
Live at Salt Lake City: Recital, recorded live (1991). Tempo Müzik, record label discontinued
Tango, Best Tangos by Piazzolla: personal arrangements for piano solo. Record label: rec-by-saatchi
Mehmet Okonşar Plays Gershwin, complete works for the solo piano by George Gershwin and a personal transcription of Rhapsody in Blue. Record label: rec-by-saatchi
With other artists:
T.R.T. Youth Choirs 20th Anniversary, commissioned work by the T.R.T. (Turkish National Radio and Television) for a cappella choir;
T.R.T. Chamber Orchestra: J.S. Bach, concertos for keyboard in F minor and G minor
Adept[clarification needed] of Free Music philosophy[13] Okonşar publishes all his recordings and writings as well as his compositions on the Internet under the GNU GPL or Creative Commons licenses.
The electronic works created in the fifties and early sixties by Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Xenakis, Henri Pousseur and others created a new and previously unheard approach to orchestration. The sound possibilities of the classical orchestra started to be conceptualized by the composers in terms of sound envelopes, sound filters, and formants. Okonşar followed a similar path in his orchestrations in the nineties.
Okonşar's music is structuralist, and calls for an analytical approach. This structuralism is presented in the finished score in a very detailed, complex, and refined musical écriture.
Compositions
The Royal Crown (Keter Malkhut) Concerto for Theremin and Orchestra
Sixteen Short Sonatas for the Solo Piano
Malakhim (Messengers, Angels) Ten Pieces for the Solo Piano
Lamentations, "Eikhah", Symphonic Poem in Five Movements for Grand Orchestra
"Haiku's" for cello solo and percussion instruments. Premiered by Nickolai Kolarov and Fernando Meza at the Balkanicus Festival, Minnesota April 2016
"Rhapsodies Hébraïques" (2014) Free form compositions based on popular Jewish melodies for the piano solo. Dedicated to Robert and Meri Schild.
"Tehillim – Psalms" (2014) Six pieces for vocal solo and chamber orchestra. Dedicated to Ms. Frances Fenton.
"Concertango" (2012) Concerto for piano and small orchestra, based on themes by Astor Piazzolla. Dedicated to Mr. Burak Tüzün. Première in Adana (Turkey) by the composer and the Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Burak Tüzün.
"Hatikvah" a piano solo arrangement of the theme, released into the Public Domain by the composer[14]
"Tehillim" for solo vocal (male or female) and small orchestra (2010).
"Kaleidoscopes" (2006–2009)
N1. for Piano Première by the composer in Ankara
N2. for Strings Chamber Orchestra, Marimba and Piano. Première conducted by Hakan Sensoy in Istanbul
N3. for Viola and Piano. Première by Çetin Aydar (viola) and the composer in Ankara
"Percussion X" (2005) For three percussionists. Première in Ankara by the Trio SaNeNa.
"Temples of Kyoto" (2004–2010) Three pieces for the piano,
N1. "Kinkaku-ji" 金閣寺, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Première by the composer in Tokyo (dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Yasuko Fukuda)
N3. "Ginkaku-ji" 銀閣寺, The Temple of the Silver Pavilion
Ahmet Taner Kışlalı Anısına (Ahmet Taner Kışlalı In Memoriam) for viola solo (2004)
"Two Seascapes" (2000) for mixte choir a cappella. Première conducted by Prof. Mustafa Apaydın, Ankara.
"Rhythm Studies pour Piano Solo" series 2 (2000)
"Rhythm Studies pour Piano Solo" series 1 (1999), inspired by the "Schillinger System of Musical Composition"
"Oannés" & "Mr. Dunne" (1990) Two sketches for improvisation for one or several piano(s). Première by the composer in Brussels.
"Unknown" (1989) for Bass Clarinet and Percussion. Première in Brussels.
"Mandel Fractal Studies" (1997) Five pieces for the Piano based on fractals.
"Emulation" (1989) Five Pieces for the Piano. Première by the composer in Istanbul.
"Chameleon" (1987) Three Pieces for the Piano. Première by the composer in Brussels.
Notes
^The first level of the "High Education in Music" diploma the Brussels Royal Conservatory awarded at the time
^The second level diploma of the Brussels Conservatory, equivalent to the Masters in Art degree, given as a result of a competition-like public performance.
