Çağrı Beklen is a critically-acclaimed Turkish composer and musician based in Vienna, Austria. Beklen’s career spans several decades, with his work ranging from classical composition, jazz and rock guitar performance to conservatory tuition. He has composed music for over 40 productions and has received eight awards to date.
Beklen grew up in Turkey and moved to Vienna at the age of 18 to pursue a career as a composer and musician. He studied jazz guitar for three years at the Franz Schubert Conservatory for Music and Drama under Prof. Susanna Mazakarinni and began his composition studies at the Prayner Conservatory for Music and Drama shortly after - an education spanning twelve years under internationally-acclaimed composers such as Wolfram Wagner, Ulf-Diether Soyka and Josef Stolz.
Beklen’s career as a composer began in 2006 with a commission from the Theater of Kocaeli Municipality for Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. Beklen has received further commissions from Turkish state theatres, Istanbul Theater Festival and universities, allowing him to work with some of the greatest names in the Turkish theatre scene.
Beklen has also received numerous prestigious awards and nominations for his compositions and has most recently been the recipient of the 2017 Direklerarası Audience Award, 5th Yeni Tiyatro Dergisi Award and Üstün Akmen Theater Award for Best Theater Music for his compositions for ‘Coriolanus’ and ‘Kundakçı’.
His nominations for ‘Best Music’ include the annual Afife Theater Awards and nominations in previous years for the Üstün Akmen Theater Awards and Yeni Tiyatro Dergisi Awards.
Beklen returned to his native Turkey from 2006-2007 to teach guitar and solfeggio at Conservatory of Kocaeli Municipality and again from 2013-2015 at University of Kocaeli as a tutor in the Faculty of Fine Arts Music Department and State Conservatory. In 2019, Beklen began teaching Composition and Film Music at the Franz Schubert Conservatory for Music in Vienna.
As well as being a successful composer and teacher, Beklen has played guitar and bass in numerous bands including Details, Ahududu, Matthew Marth Quartet and most recently Beklen Band, a shared project with his wife Tuğba Yağmur, a vocalist.
Çağrı Beklen believes that experience, effort and passion is more valuable than academic experience and he has proved this as a successful philosophy through his varied and lucrative career. His commitment to earning a living through music alone has allowed him to experience both unconventional opportunities and a traditional line of work. He believes that through the teaching of music, both teacher and pupil can develop their abilities greatly. In the coming years, Beklen hopes to continue composing for commissions, write more music for his band and release music with duos, quartets and for film and media.
Antonia Sulley
Çağrı Beklen studierte klassische Komposition und Jazzgitarre in Wien. In Österreich spielte er Gitarre und Bassgitarre mit Musikern aus verschiedenen Kulturen auf der Bühne und im Studio. 2006 begann er, Theatermusik zu komponieren. Mit seinen Kompositionen gewann er mehrere Preise, einige davon am Staatstheater Istanbul: 2012 für die beste Theatermusik für „Michelangelo“, 2013 für „Sessizlik“, 2015 für „V.Frank“ und „Eğer Bu Bir Film Olsaydı“, 2017 für „Kundakçı“, „Coriolanus“ und „Üç Kız Kardeş“. Von 2012 bis 2016 unterrichtete er als Lehrer für Komposition und Musiktheorie sowie Orchesterleitung an der Staatskonservatorium Universität Kocaeli. Seit 2018 unterrichtet er Filmmusik an der Franz Schubert Konservatorium in Wien. Seit 2006 ist er als freischaffender Komponist international tätig.
Çağrı Beklen klasik kompozisyon ve caz gitar eğitimini Viyana’da aldı. 2001 yılında ‘Details’ isimli grubu kurdu ve Avusturya’da farklı kültürlerden birçok müzisyene sahne ve stüdyo çalışmalarında gitarist ve bas gitarist olarak eşlik etti. 2006 yılında tiyatro müziği besteciliği yapmaya başladı. Sonraki yıllarda, tiyatro müziği alanındaki besteleri birçok ödüle layık görüldü. "Michelangelo" (2012), "Sessizlik" (2013), "V. Frank" (2015), "Eğer Bu Bir Film Olsaydı" (2015), "Kundakçı" (2017),"Coriolanus" (2017) and "Üç Kız Kardeş" (2017). 2012 – 2016 yılları arasında Kocaeli Üniversitesi Devlet Konservatuarında ve Güzel Sanatlar Fakültesi Müzik Bölümünde öğretim görevlisi olarak çalıştı. 2018'den beri Viyana Franz Schubert Konservatuvarında Film Müziği eğitimi vermekte ve 2006'dan beri bestecilik çalışmalarına uluslararası olarak devam etmektedir.
Awards
LIONS THEATER AWARDS 2012
Michelangelo (Istanbul State Theater)
'TİYATRO TİYATRO MAGAZINE' THEATER AWARDS 2013
Sessizlik (Istanbul State Theater)
'TİYATRO TİYATRO MAGAZINE' THEATER AWARDS 2015
V.Frank (Tiyatro Adam)
'TİYATRO TİYATRO MAGAZINE' THEATER AWARDS 2015
Eğer Bu Bir Film Olsaydı (Istanbul State Theater)
DIREKLERARASI AUDIENCE AWARDS 2017
Kundakçı (Oyun Atölyesi)
THEATER AWARDS Yeni Tiyatro Dergisi 2017
Coriolanus (Istanbul State Theater)
THEATER AWARDS Yeni Tiyatro Dergisi 2017
Kundakçı (Oyun Atölyesi)
ÜSTÜN AKMEN THEATER AWARDS 2017
Coriolanus (Istanbul State Theater)
Nominations
17th AFIFE THEATER AWARDS 2013
Sessizlik (Istanbul State Theatre)
18th AFIFE THEATER AWARDS 2014
Üç Kız Kardeş (Istanbul State Theater)
19th AFIFE THEATER AWARDS 2015
Dolu Düşün Boş Konuş (Oyun Atölyesi)
4th YENI TIYATRO MAGAZINE AWARDS 2016
Oyunlarla Yaşayanlar (Balkonda Sanat)
Aşk Delisi (Oyun Atölyesi)
21st AFIFE THEATER AWARDS 2017
Kundakçı (Oyun Atölyesi)
Coriolanus (Istanbul State Theater)
ÜSTÜN AKMEN THEATER AWARDS 2017
Kundakçı (Oyun Atölyesi)
ÜSTÜN AKMEN THEATER AWARDS 2018
Woyzeck (Oyun Atölyesi)
22nd AFIFE THEATER AWARDS 2018
Woyzeck (Oyun Atölyesi)