State artist and world-renowned pianist Gülsin Onay has said that Türkiye is home to exceptionally talented young musicians who can compete on the global stage.
Set to give numerous concerts in Türkiye and Europe throughout January, the artist spoke to state-run Anadolu Agency about the foundations of her career, which began in a musical family and carried her to international prominence as a “child prodigy.”
Onay noted that she performed works by her mentor, composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun, in 83 countries, helping to build a universal cultural bridge through music.
Emphasizing the decisive role of growing up in a musical household, Onay said that art has always been a natural way of life for her.
Recalling that she gave her first concert at the age of six, she said: “I loved playing for guests. I used to say, ‘You come, I’ll play for you.’ I knew I was making them feel something beautiful and that made me very happy. There were quite a lot of guests at that first radio concert. I sensed how important it was. Applause from many people feels different. The applause at that first concert made me very happy; I really liked it.”
Describing how she went to Paris under the “Law on Gifted Children,” Onay said her education process was both fast-paced and disciplined.
Speaking about her years at the Paris Conservatory, she noted, “I completed my studies very quickly, almost skipping classes five at a time.”
She also underlined the multicultural structure of her family, saying: “My mother graduated from the Stuttgart Conservatory, so she had deeply internalized both cultures. I fell asleep listening to wonderful examples of classical music — Mozart’s violin-piano sonatas and Beethoven’s violin-piano sonatas — like lullabies when I was still a baby.”
One of the pianists who has performed Saygun’s works most extensively worldwide, Onay said she has played his concertos in 83 countries.
Describing Saygun’s universal appeal, she said: “(Ahmed Adnan Saygun) is a great composer. At the same time, he makes the strength of our music that comes from Anatolia universal. I have played his concertos with many different orchestras. Listeners both discover something new and feel a sense of familiarity, as if they had heard it before. That is very important. Audiences abroad show the same enthusiasm after Saygun as they do after Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff. This is very valuable and proof of how universal and powerful his music is.”
Referring to the “Gülsin Onay Piano Festival and Competition,” she added that she feels a strong bond with the new generation of musicians. “There is great enthusiasm and great talent among young pianists. We truly have young artists who can compete on a global scale,” she said.
Highlighting that she will begin 2026 with an intensive concert schedule in Türkiye and Europe, Onay said her tour will take her from Istanbul to Tallinn, meeting music lovers in various cities along the way.
In the second half of January, Onay will visitTallinn, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Invited by the Music Academy, she will hold a masterclass and give a recital on Jan. 21–22, featuring works by composers ranging from Mozart and Franz Peter Schubert to Ahmed Adnan Saygun and Frederic Chopin.
The final stop of her January program will be Italy. On Jan. 24, Onay will give a concert in the city of Monza, known for its deep-rooted piano culture and for competitions held in the name of famed Italian pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
