Draft:Deniz Atalay

Deniz Atalay (born October 25, 1977) is a Turkish composer and guitarist. Atalay holds a master's degree in Traditional Turkish Music from Hacettepe University and an MBA from Warsaw University. He is a board member of the 'Association of Turkish Composers, Conductors, and Musicologists' since 2018.

Atalay began playing the guitar at an early age and has since given concerts and workshops in Poland. After publishing his first album, "Denizin Ötesinde", his style evolved over the years, leading to the release of his second album, "Fretless Guitar & Electroacoustic". His second album seamlessly combines acousmatic, synthesizer, and traditional Turkish musical elements, fusing fretless synthesizer guitar within the electroacoustic genre. Atalay's innovative approach has positioned him as a pioneer in the field of sonic arts and frettless guitar. Prof. Leigh Landy from De Montfort University commented on the album, stating, "I am intrigued by Deniz Atalay’s creative journey in which he seeks to combine the traditional (Turkish musical elements and instruments) with the new (sonic art, new technologies) in an attempt to demonstrate the dynamic of our heritage in order to enable new musical synergies."

Atalay also plays the Tanbur, a long-necked Turkish traditional instrument. Currently, he is working on a traditional album with the goal of bringing forth folk tunes from the 17th century, sourced from Ali Ufki Bey's corpus. These tunes have never been recorded before. Atalay emphasizes, "Bringing to light folk songs that have survived since the 17th century for the first time is akin to conducting an archaeological excavation in the field of music."

Discography

 * Denizin Ötesinde, 2016
 * Fretless Guitar & Electroacoustic, 2024