BATURAY YARKIN

Mehmet Baturay Yarkın (DMA)

Pianist, Composer, Arranger, Academician

Mehmet Baturay Yarkın is a pianist, composer, arranger, and academician whose work bridges classical music, jazz, tango, and Turkish musical traditions. He has performed internationally at concert halls and festivals across Europe, the United States, Asia and Türkiye, from Aya Irini in Istanbul to leading jazz and world music venues.

Background and Education

Born into a family of musicians, Baturay Yarkın was immersed in music from an early age. At the age of seven, he won first place in the part-time Classical Piano program at Istanbul University State Conservatory. By twelve, he had earned third place in the European Young Pianists Competition, studying under Prof. Meral Yapalı. His musical education spans classical music, jazz, Argentine tango, Turkish music, and composition, culminating in a doctorate (DMA) from Istanbul University State Conservatory in 2022.

He performed at Aya Irini in 2011 as part of Ara Dinkjian and His Friends. During his high school and university years, he performed with Yarkın Rhythm Group, collaborating with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra for the 2013 Turkish–China Year in China.

Jazz

Baturay Yarkın’s passion for jazz led him to the Rotterdam Conservatory, Codarts, where he studied world and jazz music and collaborated with international musicians. He attended workshops by Chick Corea, Eric Alexander, Barry Harris, and others, and represented Codarts at the Pop and Jazz Platform 2016 in Rotterdam, organized by the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC).

He performed at major festivals such as the Akbank Jazz Festival and Istanbul Jazz Festival, and venues including Borusan Music House, CRR, İş Sanat, Zorlu PSM, AKM and CSO Ada Ankara. During the 26th Istanbul Jazz Festival, molds of his hands were taken as part of the “Hands Touching Jazz” sculpture project.

The Colours of Anatolia

Through his project The Colours of Anatolia, Baturay Yarkın brings together jazz and Turkish music alongside his sister and the Baturay Yarkın Trio. Sponsored by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the ensemble toured 15 universities across Türkiye and appeared at international festivals in Monaco, Montenegro, France, and the Netherlands.

Tango

Tango became a defining feature of his musical identity. He studied Argentine tango at Codarts, attended workshops with Color Tango, Los Reyes del Tango, and Gustavo Beytelmann, and contributed to Şevval Sam’s album “Tango”. He performed extensively with OTRA in the Netherlands, and in Türkiye with ensembles such as the Istanbul Classical Orchestra and TangEsta. With TangEsta, he performed in numerous cities across Türkiye, including the 15th tanGO TO Istanbul Festival, Grand Night Tango in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the Sonido Tango Festival in Argentina, where the ensemble became the first tango orchestra from Türkiye to perform. He performed in “A New Year’s Concert from Louis Armstrong to Astor Piazzolla,” conducted by Dr. Nail Yavuzoğlu.

He arranged tangos for the albums of Turkish singers Jülide Bilgi and Ezgi Köker, and participated in the concert series Taş Plaklardaki Unutulmuş Şarkılar I-II at Zorlu PSM Turkcell Stage.

Yarkın Duo and Collaborations

In 2016, Baturay Yarkın and his sister, Nağme Yarkın, launched Yarkın Duo, releasing their debut album One. Their repertoire spans Argentine tangos, Turkish folk music, original compositions, and improvisations. The duo has performed internationally at festivals including TURfest Croatia, Boston Turkish Film Festival, Turquazz Festival London, Jazz in Albania Festival, ‘Alaturka Jazz’ night in Kosova and the Granville Island Music Festival in Vancouver. As of 2025, Yarkın Duo has evolved into a quartet with Norwegian siblings Julie and Andreas, exploring musical dialogues shaped by family ties, improvisation, and cultural exchange.

Baturay Yarkın has collaborated internationally with musicians through the Silk Road Global Musician Workshop, giving special concerts in Milan as a European Ambassador and performing in the USA as part of Yarkın Duo.

Academic and Artistic Work

Baturay Yarkın served as a Lecturer in Jazz Piano, Theory, and History at Istanbul University State Conservatory between 2018 and 2024. He has released nine albums as a bandleader, all available on digital platforms, and continues to inspire the next generation of musicians while maintaining an active international career as a performer, composer, and educator.

His collaborations include distinguished artists such as Erkan Oğur, Serkan Çağrı, Ozbi, Ara Dinkjian, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, Mike Block, Sandeep Das, Eric St. Laurent and Javadoff. In December 2025, he performed a special Christmas concert with the Günay Acar Ensemble, attended by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), Jazz Department
  Istanbul University State Conservatory, 2018–2022

• Master of Jazz-Tango Piano (Erasmus Exchange Program)
  Codarts University for the Arts, 2015–2016

• Master of Music, Music Theory and Composition
  Istanbul Technical University, 2013–2017

• Certificate Program, Jazz Department
  Bahcesehir University, 2013–2015

• Bachelor of Music (Part Time), Piano Department
  Istanbul University State Conservatory, 1998–2010

• Bachelor of Science, Industrial Engineering
  Marmara University, 2009–2013

Theses

• A Compositional Arcetype, In The Context of Musical and Structural Components of the Jazz Albums Published Between 1970-1980, Containing Turkish Music Elements, İstanbul University, Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) Program, Doctorate Thesis, 2022.
• The Examination of Piano Performance in Tango Music in terms of Carlos Di Sarli, Anibal Troilo and Horacio Salgan Styles, İstanbul Technical University, Music Theory and Composition Program, Master Thesis, 2017.

Articles

• A Look Into the Two-Piano World of Jazz Through Three Stories, Article published on Jazz Dergisi, December 2025.
• A Meeting of Two Jazz Legends: Peterson’s Dedication to Basie, Article published on Jazz Dergisi, October 2025
• American Jazz Musicians Using Turkish Music Elements In Their Works, Article published on Konser Arkası Journal, p.112-116, December 2022.
• Tango in Turkey’s Modernization Process and Characteristics of Turkish Tango, Article published on Konser Arkası Journal, p. 88-90, October 2022.

• Ezgi Köker – İstanbul Şarkıcısı (2026) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Our Ballads (2026)
• Cemre Necefbaş – I Thought About You (2026)
• Cemre Necefbaş – Just My Luck (2026)
• Taş Plaklardaki Unutulmuş Şarkılar (2026) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Magnolia (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio – Sleepless Night (2025)
• Hakan Kılıçoğlu – Time Flies (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın – Solo Ballads (In Memory of Aydın Balpınar) (2025) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın – Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın – Darn That Dream (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın – I Fall in Love Too Easily (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – For Justice (2025)
• ViolinCello – Valse Istanbul (2025)
• Hakan Kılıçoğlu – Breeze (2025)
• Baha Yetkin – Uzak Diyarlar (2025)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Dream Again (2024) 📀
• Ozbi – Olduğum Gibi (Studio Live) (2024) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın – My Foolish Heart (2024)
• Baturay Yarkın – Lush Life (2024)
• Baturay Yarkın – Someone to Watch Over Me (2024)
• Nağme Yarkın – Vaveyla (2024)
• Işıl Kahraman – Sustu Sözler (2024)
• Ayşem Ersoy – Se Valiente (2024)
• TangEsta – Dos (2024)
• TangEsta – Mas (2024)
• TangEsta – Tangos de Estambul (2024)
• Çiğdem Çelik – Mavi (2024)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Fiery Desert (2023)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Quarantine (2023)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Dream Again (2023)
• Yarkın Duo – Diyar (2023)
• Jiyar & Baturay Yarkın – Intizar (2023)
• Işıl Kahraman – Yalnızca Gölgeler Var (2023)
• Baturay Yarkın – Inside (2022) 📀
• TangEsta & Bahar Sarıboğa – Sahibini Arayan Tangolar (2022) 📀
• Sanat Deliorman – Aşk Kumbarası (2022) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Üsküdar’a Gider İken (Live) (2022)
• Baturay Yarkın – Evidence (2022)
• Evrencan Gündüz – Yavrum (2022)
• Baturay Yarkın – Just Keep Going (2022)
• Baturay Yarkın – Sleep (2022)
• Baturay Yarkın – Dream (2022)
• Evrencan Gündüz – Kesso (2022)
• Fide – Gel (2022)
• Baturay Yarkın – Hope (2021) 📀
• Jülide Bilgi – Buselik Mavisi (2021) 📀
• Atakan Akdaş – Selahattin Pınar Şarkıları (2021) 📀
• Ehsan Matoori & Alireza Ghorbani – The Voices and Bridges (2021) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın – Calm (2021)
• Baturay Yarkın – Quarantine (2021)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – Autumn Leaves (Live) (2021)
• Işıl Kahraman – İç Hayata (2021)
• Işıl Kahraman – Hayali Katmanlar (2021)
• Işıl Kahraman – Ne Öyleyim Ne Böyleyim (2021)
• Yarkın Duo – Quintessence (2020) 📀
• Erkan Zeki Ar – Tecelli (2020) 📀
• Yarkın Duo – Longing (Fire) (2020)
• Baturay Yarkın – Lost & Found (2020)
• Burak Cihangirli – For One (2020)
• Baturay Yarkın Trio & Nağme Yarkın – The Colors of Anatolia (2019) 📀
• Dolunay Obruk – Entropi (2019) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın – Breathe Once Again (2019)
• Baha Yetkin – The Pearl (2019)
• Baturay Yarkın – Su (2018) 📀
• Baturay Yarkın & Gürtuğ Gök – Blue Love (2018)
• Veys’s Jazzy World – Pirate Jenny (2018)
• Yarkın Duo – One (2017) 📀
• Tangesta – Tangueros de Estambul (2017) 📀
• Şevket Akıncı – Escher Chronicles (2017) 📀
• Eli ft. Yarkın Duo – Waltz of the Moon (2017)
• Ali Rıza Kural – Sevdiklerimin Sevdikleri (2016) 📀
• Smart Business – Make It Happen (2016)
• İsmail Birateş – Yahya Kemal & Nazım Hikmet (2015) 📀
• Şevval Sam – Tango (2013) 📀