SANEM

Early Years

Born in the city of Trabzon in northeast Turkey, Sanem thrived in the bustling music and culture of the Black Sea. She moved to the capital city of Ankara in 1996, where she studied music at Ankara Anatolian High School of Fine Arts. It was at this school that Sanem studied the cello with Nurdan Gucluer and continued with Oguzhan Kavruk. Kavruk, the first cellist for the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (CSO), played a major role in developing Sanem's abilities. Through his careful guidance she flourished. During this period Sanem teamed up with music festivals Europe and Turkey. She loved to sing in the school choir.

In 2000 Sanem enrolled in Gazi University to study teaching. Here she further developed her skills on the cello with Sinasi Cilden, cellist in CSO, and Dr. Sebnem Orhan. Solo performances all around Ankara and many other cities in Turkey allowed Sanem to sing and play in front of a wide range of audiences. Sanem began to develop her singing voice. She soon got a taste for jazz and thrived on it.

Recent Years

After graduation, Sanem enrolled in a masters program. During her second year, she decided to pursue a life singing jazz and moved to the Netherlands. During the second year of her jazz studies at the Prins Claus Conservatory, she won 2nd prize in the Nederlands Jazz Vocal Concour in De Spieghel Theater, Zwolle on 8th of February 2009. Later that year, in September, Sanem travelled to New York City as an exchange student, where she studied with JD Walter and Gretchen Parlato. While in New York, Sanem also worked independently with Sheila Jordan, Roberta Gambarini, and many more great musicians.

Sanem developed her own style by enriching jazz with colorful Turkish tradition. This style is well-defined when listening to the way Sanem approaches arrangements of jazz standards; her jazz interpretations of classical pieces, especially ones written for cello evoke strong emotion through her distinctive interpretation of Turkish, classical, and jazz pieces.

She recorded a CD called "Turku" with Akropola Quartet led by Slovenian pianist Kaja Draksler, the cd was released in November 2009.

In January 2010, Sanem returned to the Netherlands, where she is currently in her 4th year at University, studying jazz. The young artist performs with her own groups, and is also an active member in many different projects around Europe. In July 2010, Sanem won 1st prize at the 44th annual Montreux Jazz Festival for Jazz Voice, where jazz legend, Quincy Jones was head judge.