Gülsin Onay

Gülsin Onay is a Turkish pianist born in Istanbul in 1954.

A member of a musical family, Gülsin Onay started her piano education while she was three and a half years old. Her first teacher was her mother, Gülen Erim-Reusch.

Gülsin Onay performed her first concert at TRT İstanbul Radyosu while she was 6. At the age of 10, she attended Ankara Devlet Konservatuvarı (Ankara State Conservatory) under the supervision of Mithat Fenmen and Adnan Saygun for two years. At Ulvi Cemal Erkin's suggestion she was sent to France as a result of "Üstün Yetenekli Çocuklar Kanunu" (Highly Skilled Children Law) with her family. They all settled in Paris.

She attended the Paris Conservatory, where she studied with, among others, Nadia Boulanger. She graduated at age 16 with First Prize in Piano. Two years later, she performed her first major concert in Europe. After completing her conservatory education, she worked with Bernard Ebert at Hannover Music College and enriched her repertoire and style. She was a prize winner in the 1982 Busoni International Piano Competition.

Family

Gülsin's mother is the daughter of famous Turkish scientist Kerim Erim. She had studied piano but had not been able to perform as a concert pianist, so she took the path of teaching private lessons.

Gülsin's father is the German violinist Joachim Reusch. He dropped his musical career and became a Turkish citizen in order to marry his wife, whom he had met while studying at a music conservatory. He then began work in commerce.

Gülsin's son Erkin Onay has been a violinist in the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra. Erkin received some early violin lessons from his grandfather Joachim Reusch.

Gülsin's husband Ersin Onay is professor of piano at Bilkent University. Their son Erkin teaches violin there as well.

External links

* [http://www.gulsinonay.com Official website]