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Yurdal Tokcan was born in Ordu in 1966. He graduated from the Turkish Music State Conservatory of Istanbul Technical University in 1988. While continuing his master’s degree at his alma mater, he worked as an instructor of oud and saz. In 1990, he was appointed as an oud player to the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, which belongs to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As a member of the ensemble, Tokcan performed in Turkey, France, Holland, Belgium, and Spain. He is also a member of the Istanbul Fasil Ensemble and the Istanbul Tasavvuf Music Ensemble. He is a founder member of the Istanbul Sazendeleri (Musicians of Istanbul). He has joined many recording sessions, and performed in many foreign countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Japan, Turkmenistan, Israel, Tunis, Lebanon, the USA, Bosnia and Northern Cyprus.
His style combines older traditions with many new stylistic innovations, which are also present in his playing of the fretless guitar. His many new compositions combine traditional rich melodies with polyphonic textures performed on Turkish classical instruments.
As a soloist, Tokcan has performed with the Amsterdam Percussion Group and Chamber Orchestra in a program “European Music Around Oud” in the Netherlands, the Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra in Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Belgium. He performed with Burhan Ocal (percussion), Goksel Baktagir (kanun), Selim Guler (kemence), and Arif Erdebil (ney) in a French concert. The recording of the concert won the 1998 "Best Ethnic Album" in France. Tokcan has played with ney virtuoso Kudsi Erguner′s ensembles many times both in Turkey and abroad. He also performed with the Group Baharat in Israel and with long time collaborator and kanun player Goksel Baktagir.
Tokcan represented Turkey in several international festivals and celebrations, including the Third International Oud and Lavta Festival in Dresden and the 2002 International Oud Meeting in Thessaloniki (along with oud players Ara Dinkjian, Simon Shaheen, Haig Yazdjian, and Omar Bashir). In 2003, he performed at the Oud Festival in Jordan and gave two concerts at the Arabic Music Festival in the Cairo Opera Hall. He performed during celebrations of the 2003 Turkish Year in Japan. Together with Selim Guler, Ross Daly, Zohar Fresko and Yinon Muallem, Tokcan was invited to perform in a pan-Mediterranean Music Festival, which was held in Jerusalem. He has performed with the Mercan Dede Ensemble in various festivals, including the Akbank International Jazz Festival in Istanbul. He participated in the Turkish Year in Japan with Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004. He performed with Istanbul Sazendeleri (Musicians of Istanbul) in Crete (August 2005), Estonia (October 2005), Sweden (April 2006), Syria (May 2006), Tokyo, Japan (Turkish year events closing concert, May 2004), and concert with Ross Daly in Bursa, Turkey (November 2005). Tokcan had a duo concert with Israeli percussionist Yinon Muallem at the International Oud Festival in Jerusalem (December 2005)
Reference: yurdaltokcan.com, tr.wikipedia.org
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