Erol Erdinç

Erol Erdinç — Biography

Erol Erdinç (born 30 November 1945 in İskenderun) is a Turkish pianist, composer, conductor, and music educator originally from Rize. He completed his studies at the Ankara State Conservatory in 1973, training in composition under Ahmet Adnan Saygun and piano under T. Çetiz, then stayed on to teach there while also working as a pianist for the Ankara State Opera and Ballet. In 1975 he moved to Paris for advanced training in conducting and composition.

Returning to Turkey in 1980, he became a conductor at the Ankara State Opera and Ballet. From 1983 to 2000 he was chief conductor and musical director of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra. He later served as dean of the Faculty of Music at Bilkent University until 2002, then joined the Hacettepe Conservatory in 2003, where he headed the Composition Department and its symphony orchestra and founded its jazz department in 2010. From 2011 to 2013 he was General Director of Fine Arts at the Ministry of Culture while also serving as music director of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.

Known for blending traditional Turkish modal music, popular styles, and jazz, Erdinç introduced symphonic jazz to Turkey through the Istanbul State Symphony's "Spring Concerts" and guest-conducted orchestras such as the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic. He received a Medal of Honour from President Süleyman Demirel in 1994, was named State Artist in 1998 -- a title later revoked -- and went on to win the Mavi Nota Best Conductor award in 2011 and Hacettepe University's Artist of the Year award in 2012, as well as France's Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He has been married to Brazilian pianist Vera Oliveira Erdinç since 1983.