Ali Hoca's Fantasy Suite for Piano, Op. 76, a sweeping concertante suite, was born from the isolation of the first pandemic lockdown and finalized in May 2020. This musical pilgrimage through Northern Cyprus encompasses 25 significant historical locations, beginning with the ancient Vuni Palace and culminating in the majestic Selimiye Mosque in Nicosia. The suite is a heartfelt dedication to pianist Hande Dalkılıç, and its world premiere will be performed in this concert.
HANDE DALKILIÇ, pianist
Piano virtuoso Hande DALKILIÇ is known as an artist who preserves and develops the Turkish piano heritage by promoting Turkish composers with her concerts and CDs in Türkiye and worldwide. She has given the first performances and recordings of works by many Turkish composers. She also became the editor of Saygun’s op.76 Sonata hand-written score, which was published by Peer Music Classical (Hamburg) in 2012.
She has recorded CDs including world premieres and works dedicated to her by the composers: A. Adnan SAYGUN solo piano works and Piano Concerto Nr.1, Ulvi Cemal ERKIN “Complete Solo Piano Works”, Cemal Reşit REY “Variations on an Istanbul Song” For Piano & Orchestra”, Muammer SUN, “Country Colors” Complete works for Solo Piano, Çetin IŞIKÖZLÜ “The Tunes of Upper Euphrates” for solo piano under BMP and KALAN Music Labels (also available on digital media). She pays particular attention to the works of Turkish composers during her concerts abroad.
One of her recent albums, “My Favorite Romantics,” which includes works of Romantic Era composers such as Chopin, Liszt, and Gottschalk, was released by KALAN Music Label in 2020. Bach’s concertos for 3 and 4 pianos, which she performed live with state artists İdil Biret and Ayşegül Sarıca with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erol Erdinç in 2002, are being released on CD in Germany under the İBA Collection label and will be available on digital platforms as of February 2025 with a Naxos broadcast.
She has just recorded a new album called “My Left Hand” on works for the left hand composed by Moszkowski, Scriabin, and Reinecke, which will be released in 2025. Hande Dalkılıç performed world premiere of “My Left Hand” at the 22nd Boston Turkish Film and Music Festival in 2023.
Besides her performances as a guest soloist with all Turkish State Symphonies, private orchestras, and some foreign orchestras including Camerata Salzburg, Hande Dalkilic has also given recitals and chamber music concerts in countries such as Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the U.S.A., mostly at international festivals.
Hande Dalkılıç was born in Ankara, Türkiye, and studied at Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, including her doctorate level, with Prof. Ersin Onay. During this period and afterwards, she studied and discussed musical ideas with distinguished pianist-pedagogues such as G. Sandor, S. Benda, and Prof. G. Sava.
Dalkilic earned her Associate Professor degree in March 2006 and then her Professor degree in November 2013 at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, where she currently teaches as the Chair of the Piano Department.
The artist, who is also the Turkish representative and founding president of EPTA (European Piano Teachers Association), continues her soloist career with recitals and concerts at home and abroad, alongside her participation in radio and TV broadcasts.
ALİ HOCA, composer & conductor
Ali Hoca (1961, Lefkoşa) is a Turkish Cypriot musician and composer. He is the conductor of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Presidential Symphony Orchestra. He played accordion, guitar, piano, and oboe at a young age. He wrote his first composition in the 5th grade of elementary school. In 1976, he entered the Ankara State Conservatory, where he became a student of Metin Yalçın. He served as the coordinator of the TRT (Turkish Radio and TV) Children's and Youth Choirs. He worked as a lecturer of Harmony and Counterpoint at the Gazi Faculty of Education, Department of Music. He also worked at the Izmir State Opera and Ballet. He composed "Arap Ali Destanı" (The Epic of Arap Ali), which has the distinction of being the first opera work of the TRNC. In 2015, he took on the role of founding conductor of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Presidential Symphony Orchestra.
