Gülsin Onay

Biography

Gülsin Onay began playing piano at age three and gave her first public recital on Turkish Radio at six. She studied under Ahmed Adnan Saygun, Mithat Fenmen, and later in Paris with Pierre Sancan, Monique Haas, and Nadia Boulanger, graduating from the Paris Conservatoire at 16 with the prestigious Premier Prix du Piano. She won prizes at major competitions, including the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud and Ferruccio Busoni.

Onay’s international career spans over 80 countries, performing at renowned venues such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Salle Gaveau, Washington DC National Gallery of Art, and New York Miller Theater. She has appeared with leading orchestras, including the Dresden Staatskapelle, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, Munich Radio Symphony, and Warsaw Philharmonic, under conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Neeme Järvi, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

A celebrated interpreter of Ahmed Adnan Saygun, she has premiered his 2nd Piano Concerto and inspired works by contemporary composers including Marc-André Hamelin and Bujor Hoinic. Her discography includes over 20 albums, featuring repertoire from Haydn and Mozart to modern composers, with acclaimed recordings of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Saygun. Onay holds the title of State Artist in Turkey, is Artist in Residence at Bilkent University, and has received honorary doctorates from Bosphorus University and Hacettepe University. A committed educator and philanthropist, she is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, promotes classical music globally, and hosts the weekly program “In the Studio with Gülsin Onay” on Turkish national radio.