Soykan, Betul

Betul Soykan

Violin

Dr. Betul Soykan is the Violin and Viola Professor and Director of the Symphony Orchestra at UTRGV‐Brownsville, which joined the faculty on September 2015.

Being trained one of the best conservatories of Europe, Betul holds four degrees in Violin Performance and String Pedagogy. Some of her influential teachers throughout her studies were Igor Ozim, Iwona Wojciechowska and the great Romanian virtuoso Ion Voicu. Right after completion of her undergraduate, she was admitted to the Hochschule der Künste Bern in Switzerland, a prestigious conservatory with an exceptional string department founded by Max Rostal, with a full scholarship to study with Ulrich Lehmann and later on with world renowned violinist and pedagogue Igor Ozim, where she completed double Masters in Violin performance and String Pedagogy. She received a special distinction award for her Concert Diploma recital as well as first prize in the Concerto Competition of Swiss, where she was chosen to perform Samuel Barber’s violin concerto with the Bern Symphony Orchestra.

She has taken active part in master classes and seminars with world renowned musicians such as Vladimir Spivakov, Igor Ozim, Igor Oistrach, Victor Pikaizen, Trio di Trieste, Stanislav Apolin and Rudolf Baumgartner, Siegfried Palm.

She has performed in some of the most prestigious halls around the world: Spivey Hall, Tonhalle, Concertgebouw, Grand Casino Symphony Hall Bern, Teatro dei Rozzi and others. Betul’s recording of Cesar Frank’s Sonata and other pieces by Swiss composers, available through Eroica Records. In this recording the Sonata by Melchior Ulrich, which is dedicated to her and was premiered in Switzerland in 1995. Her second album “Complete Sonatas of Joaquin Turina” was released in July 2015, with Centaur records.

She was the founder and CEO of Atlanta Strings Conservatory Inc., a non-­‐profit institution, dedicated to the education and promotion of String Music, styled after European Conservatories. She also served as a faculty member at Gordon State College, Clayton State University, Hochschule der Künste Bern, Seminole College.

Dr. Soykan has produced many great players throughout her teaching career and have served as a judge in many competitions as well as clinician for master courses. Her students have won multiple awards, competitions and variety of auditions and her students admire her both as a scholar and performer. Dr. Soykan completed her doctorate at University of Georgia with Dr. Michael Heald. Her dissertation and Audio-­‐CD recording was focus on Spanish composer Joaquin Turina’s violin works. Betul Soykan performs on a violin made by, Antonio Gagliano II, circa 1840.

Links:

betulsoykan.com | CENTAUR RECORDS