Esra PEHLIVANLI (Ankara, 1977) studied with the eminent Violist Mikhail Kugel and holds diplomas of master degree and advanced studies from the Gent Royal Conservatory in Belgium and the Maastricht Conservatory in the Netherlands, finishing both degrees with the highest distinction.

Esra PEHLIVANLI has been awarded several prizes such as the V. Krzyzstof Penderecki International Contemporary Music Competition (Poland), Torneo Internazionale di Musica (Italy) and the first prize in Premio Valentino Bucchi International Viola Competition (Italy), where she obtained a Presidential Medal of Honour.

The content of PEHLIVANLI’s repertory spans from Baroque until the music of present time. Besides performing all the major works of the Viola literature, she’s a great devotee of contemporary music and collaborates with composers for the creation and promotion of new viola repertory. Many works have been written for her by composers such as Ivo Petric, Chiel Meijering, Bruno Strobl, Nico Huijbregts, Gerard Beljon, including the first Concerto for Viola & Accordion and Symphony Orchestra by Selim Dogru.

Esra PEHLIVANLI has given a great variety of concerts in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Austria and Luxembourg. She has played as a soloist with the major orchestras in her native country, such as the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, Izmir State Symphony Orchestra, Anadolu Symphony Orchestra a.o. PEHLIVANLI has taken part in festivals such as Robeco Zomerconcerten (the Netherlands), Grachtenfestival (the Netherlands), International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht (the Netherlands), Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival (Germany), De “Wohltemperierte” Accordeon (the Netherlands-Germany), Akkorde-On-Stage (Austria), International Ankara Music Festival (Turkey), Mersin International Music Festival ( Turkey), and radio & tv recordings for RTL Germany, TRT Turkey, Concertzender the Netherlands.