Composer Prize 2019
Mithatcan Öcal
Biography
For Mithatcan Öcal, born in 1992 in Hatay, Iskenderun in Turkey, music wasn’t seen as a legitimate career path. His violin studies at the state music conservatory at Kocaeli University in İzmit however, allowed him to cross paths with composers Mehmet Ali Uzunselvi and Emre Dündar, who sparked an interest in and excitement for composition. Today, he sees neither as his teachers, but rather as his advisors, mentors and friends.
It was through stipendiums and prizes including the Gaudeamus Muziekweek (2012), the Académie Voix nouvelles Royaumont (2013), the Akademie Schloss Solitude (2015) and the Akademie der Künste Berlin (2018) that Mithatcan Öcal gained both support and recognition
for his work. Commissions from various ensembles such as the Klangforum Heidelberg, the Collegium Novum Zürich, the Prime Recorder Ensemble and the Namascae Lemanic Modern Ensemble gave life to further output.
His works are performed in many international festivals such as at the Gaudeamus Muziekweek (2012), the ISCM World Music Days (2014) and the Festival Archipel (2015). He is a founding member of the Istanbul Composer Collective and lives as a freelance composer, musician and improviser in Istanbul.
