“The project gave me not only the opportunity to make music with wonderful people, but also opened new possibilities in the music world for me which I had never expected.”

Yunus Tuncalı who was born in 1992, started his musical education at “Bilkent University School of Music and Performing Arts” with Sevinç Keser, Emre Şen and Stiliana Stavreva at the piano. In 2009 Tuncalı received the 1. Prize at the “3. Anatolian University Piano Competition” in Eskişehir.

After his graduation 2010 from the class of Prof. Ersin Onay, he was selected as a scholar to the “Young Musicians on World Stages” (YMWS) system initiated and mentored in 2010 by Güher and Süher Pekinel and began his studies at the “Koninklijk Conservatory” in Brussels. He graduated 2012 from the class of Prof. Alexander Madzar and improved his music education and piano studies through masterclasses with Oxana Jablonskaya in New York and with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden in Belgium.  Tuncalı continues his studies with Me Jo Lee at the ‘’Hochschule Der Künste” Berlin.

Tuncalı played at the “Musica Mundi Summer Chamber Music Course and Festivals” 2010 and 2011 in Brussels and participated in the same year at the “Pablo Casals Chamber Music Festival”  performing in various chamber music concerts.

In March 2014 Tuncalı played with other Young Musicians on World Stages scholars at the Zurich Tonhalle Chamber Series, which was filmed live and published by Lila Plak as a DVD with interviews by DRS Radio.  As “Trio Arte” with Violonist Veriko Tchumburidze and Cellist Dorukhan Doruk from “Young Musicians on World Stages” he performed at the Boğaziçi Albert Long Hall, the Notre Dame de Sion Concert Hall and at the D-Marin Classical Music Festival. In April 2016 he played chamber music concerts with “Trio Arte” at the Süreyya Opera and Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall.

Within the YMWS project Yunus Tuncalı had further performances with “Borusan Istanbul Philarmonic Orchestra” playing Rachmaninow’s “2nd Piano Concerto”. In 2016 the YMWS Project arranged a tour with major orchestras in Turkey where also Pekinels have taken part in order to introduce these young musicians to the public. Tuncalı performed with major orchestras in Turkey like the Istanbul and Izmir State Symphony Orchestra and with the Ankara ”Presidential Symphony Orchestra” the “L.V. Beethoven Triple Concerto” with ‘Trio Arte”. Tuncalı also gave a recital concert at the Musikinstrumenten-Museum Berlin.

2016 Tuncalı received with “Trio Arte” the first prize for chamber music at the “Pietro Argento International Music Competition, 1-5 June” at Gioia del Colle in Italy. A live filmed recital program was performed at the competition at the 44. IKSV International Istanbul Music Festival with world famous violist Gérard Caussé. Here “Trio Arte” also performed the world premiere of renowned composer Özkan Manav’s work “Ludus Modalis” specially written for this event.

Currently, Tuncalı is continuing his Master’s degree programme at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin.