User:Volkansanaral/Elif Isil Karakas

Born in 2003. Elif Işıl's musical talent was discovered by music education experts to whom she was directed by her kindergarten teacher. After succeeding in the entrance exams, she started part-time conservatory education on piano in 2010 and became Gökçe Göktepe's student


 * She performed as a solo pianist in May 2011 Mehmet Akif Ersoy University International Young Talents Music Festival ,
 * in April 2012 Akdeniz University April 23 Children's Fest ,
 * May of 2012 İstanbul Pera Piano Festival ,
 * June of 2012 the music school's concerts,
 * Her teacher Gökçe Göktepe's class concerts,
 * October of 2012 International Children's Summit opening concert,
 * December of 2012 ATSO Fine Arts High School,
 * March of 2013 2nd Traditional Önder Altıntaş Piano and Strings Days ,
 * May of 2013 TRT (National Turkish State Radio Television) Radio Days concert,
 * November of 2013 International Antalya Piano Festival  ,
 * May of 2014 Akdeniz University 4th Science and Art Festival Opening Concert ,
 * May of 2016 Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University 5th International Classical Music Festival,
 * July of 2016 Eğirdir Classical Music Festival Opening Concert,
 * May of 2017 in the concert of ‘Turkish Five by Elif Isil Karakas’ where she presented and performed the music of five Turkish composers


 * May of 2017 in the concert of ‘Turkish Five by Elif Isil Karakas’ where she presented and performed the music of five Turkish composers

She gave concerts with big orchestras, especially the Texas Symphony Orchestra, on many platforms in Turkey and the USA.

AWARDS:

 * In September 2012 Karakaş received second prize at the International Hopes, Talents, Masters Classical Piano Competition in Bulgaria, Dobric and Albena cities.
 * Between 17-25 April, she was sent to compete in the  10th Horowitz Competition  by her university.
 * In May 2015, Karakaş received 3rd prize at the "15th International Piano Competition" by Skryabin Conservatory organized in Paris.
 * Also in July of 2016, Karakaş represented her country successfully at the Carmel Clavier International Classical Music Piano Competition in Indianapolis, USA.
 * Karakas, who has been admitted to the USA's largest school orchestra in August 2017, started her high school education here.
 * On October 14, 2017, Karakaş received 3rd prize at the Inter-School Classical Music Competition. Behind,
 * Karakaş participated in Texas All-State Piano Competition in October 2017 and 2018 where she won 1st prize for 2 consecutive years. The following year, she won 3rd prize, in 2019.
 * Held in April of the same year, Dr. Karakaş, who won the 2nd prize in the Fred and Wanda Pauling Piano Competition, won the 3rd prize in the State Piano Competition in October 2019.

She took the masterclasses of Tamara Poddubnaya, Özgür Aydın, Andreas Staier, Barış Büyükyıldırım, Gergely Boganyi, Werner Bartschi, Andrea Lucchesini, Hüseyin Sermet, Freddy Kempf, Gülsin Onay, Ufuk Dördüncü, Bahar Dördüncü, Khatia Buniatishvili, Joseph Rackers and Michael Mizrahi Karakaş has been a part of the TRT (Turkish State Radio Television) Children's Turkish Music Choir and currently continues to take part in her school choir as a correpetitor. In June of 2013, Karakaş achieved great success in Antalya Science and Art Education Centre Gifted and Talented Students School and was chosen  Star Student  in the 2015-2016 Education Year. Karakas continued her piano studies with Prof. Nancy and John Weems from 2017 to 2020. Due to Prof Weems’ cancer treatment, she later became a piano student of Prof. Robert Roux, with Prof. Weems’ approval, with whom Karakas studied until August 2021. Currently, she produces and presents a classical music show called Classical Note on the national Radyobir channel, where she hosts world-renowned classical music artists. She continues her piano studies with Prof. Daniel Epstein at the Manhattan School of Music. Other than music, she won places in chess, swimming and optimist (Sailing category of under 16-year-old children) contests.