Batuhan Aydın

Batuhan Aydın
Aydın performing in 2016
Aydın performing in 2016
Background information
Born (1991-07-14) 14 July 1991
Istanbul, Turkey
Genres
Occupations
InstrumentKaval
Years active2010–present
WebsiteOfficial website

Batuhan Aydın (born July 14, 1991) is a Turkish composer, ethnomusicologist, and kaval player based in Istanbul, Turkey. His work draws on Anatolian and Balkan folk traditions and incorporates jazz, improvisation, and contemporary musical forms.[1] He treats the kaval within both traditional and experimental contexts, extending its use beyond regional performance practices.[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Batuhan Aydın was born in Istanbul on 14 July 1991. His mother’s family originates from the Ludogorie (Turkish: Deliorman, lit. 'mad forest') region of Bulgaria, while his father’s roots lie in Gümüşhane, a city in Turkey’s eastern Black Sea region.[3] He grew up in an environment deeply shaped by his parents’ work as folk dance choreographers and folklorists, which played a formative role in his artistic development.[4]

Aydın was admitted to the high school division of Istanbul Technical University’s Turkish Music State Conservatory, where he began formal training in the kaval.[5]

Aydın continued his studies of the kaval with Prof. Lyuben Dossev (Bulgarian: Проф.д-р Любен Досев) at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Asen Diamandiev” in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.[6] He later pursued academic research at the Department of Musicology at Istanbul Technical University’s Turkish Music State Conservatory and earned a master’s degree in Music and Performing Arts from Yıldız Technical University.[7]

Career

From 2010 to 2013, he was a member of the Youth Orchestra of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).[8] In 2014, he became the youngest instrumentalist to perform at the 1st International Kaval Conference in Istanbul.[9]

He is the founding member and frontman of KAPIKO, an Istanbul-based ethno/world jazz and progressive fusion ensemble centered around the kaval.[10] The ensemble draws on Anatolian and Balkan folk traditions in original compositions shaped through jazz and improvisational approaches.[11][12] Its album Nova (2022) was listed among the best Turkish jazz albums of 2022 by the magazine Cazkolik.[13] Formed in 2013, KAPIKO remains active and has performed at various international jazz festivals in Turkey and Europe.[14][15][16][17][18] The ensemble also released the singles Viensko Horo (2022), in collaboration with Bulgarian drummer Stoyan Yankoulov,[19] and Ethiopian Waltz (2023).[20]

In 2022, Aydın released his composition Yana with Bulgarian producer Ivan Shopov (Bulgarian: Иван Шопов), marking his first electronic music collaboration. The work combines traditional musical material with electronic production techniques.[21]

In 2024, Batuhan Aydın collaborated with Theodosii Spassov (Bulgarian: Теодосий Спасов) on Chifte Kaval (Bulgarian: Чифте Кавали, lit. 'two kavals'), a project for two kaval soloists and string orchestra featuring original compositions written for kaval and orchestra.[22] The project brings together two prominent contemporary kaval performers from Turkey and Bulgaria.[23] Based on the cultural and musical traditions of Anatolia and the Balkans, it reinterprets the kaval tradition as a dialogue between two solo voices within an orchestral setting.[24] The project premiered on 5 June 2024 at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul.[25][26][27][28][29][30]

In early 2026, Aydın founded the Batuhan Aydın Folk Quartet, a contemporary ensemble exploring Anatolian folk material through modern improvisational and harmonic approaches.[31] The quartet features Nikolaus Grill on piano, Kağan Yıldız on double bass, and Ediz Hafızoğlu on drums.[32] The quartet’s debut album Homewards (2026), made in collaboration with vocalist Jülide Özçelik, includes reinterpretations of Anatolian folk melodies and features guest appearances by Armenian-American composer and oud player Ara Dinkjian,[33] a prominent figure in contemporary world music,[34] Norwegian trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær,[35] a key figure in nu-jazz,[36] and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Cenk Erdoğan.[37]

Alongside his performance career, Aydın conducts international workshops and masterclasses focusing on advanced kaval playing techniques and Bulgarian folk music.[38] He has held teaching positions at various universities over different periods and has also appeared as a guest lecturer at other institutions.

Discography

Release year Artist Title Release type
2013 KAPIKO On Bierli Album
2018 Balkan Blow Veligdensko Oro Single
2022 KAPIKO Nova Album
2022 Batuhan Aydın & Ivan Shopov Yana Single
2022 KAPIKO feat. Stoyan Yankoulov Viensko Horo Single
2023 KAPIKO feat. Ezgi İrem Mutlu Ethiopian Waltz Single
2026 Batuhan Aydın Folk Quartet Homewards Album

References

  1. ↑ Jazz Magazine Batuhan Aydın: Pioneer of the Modern Kaval, and his album “Homewards” 2026-05-20
  2. ↑ All About Jazz Magazine Istanbul-born jazz musician and composer Batuhan Aydın is a pioneer of modern kaval performance 2024-04-16
  3. ↑ Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Батухан Айдън пред БТА Анкара: С Теодосий Спасов имаме специален проект “Чифте кавали” 2025-11-14
  4. ↑ Official Website: Nardis Jazz Club About: Batuhan Aydın 2020-03-17
  5. ↑ Ahenk Music (Label) B: Batuhan Aydın 2022-04-11
  6. ↑ Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Batuhan Aydın: Kaval denince akla Bulgaristan geliyor 2019-03-17
  7. ↑ Haberlendin (e-newspaper) Batuhan Aydın Kimdir? 2019-11-10
  8. ↑ Ekonomim (e-newspaper) Yeni nesil kavalcı: Batuhan Aydın 2024-06-02
  9. ↑ İTÜ TMDK 1st International Kaval Conference 2013
  10. ↑ BizimCaz Magazine About: KAPIKO 2012
  11. ↑ Gazete Duvar Kavalın Caz Hali 2022-03-18
  12. ↑ Cazkolik Magazine KAPIKO’nun “Nova” albümünün en çarpıcı yanı kavalı caza dahil etmesi olabilir ama müziğin tamamı bize çok daha büyük bir resmi anlatıyor 2022-03-03
  13. ↑ Cazkolik Magazine Cazkolik Best of 2022: Yılın en iyi albümleri belirlendi 2022-12-10
  14. ↑ T24 (e-newspaper) 9.Uluslararası Bodrum Caz Festivali 2025-06-15
  15. ↑ CNN Türk 5.Urla Caz ve Gastronomi Festivali bu akşam başlıyor 2023-08-11
  16. ↑ Habertürk Bu hafta sonu Adalar’da caz var 2024-06-25
  17. ↑ Kulturzentrum Spittelberg im Amerlinghaus KAPIKO Konzert & Ausstellungseröffnung 2022-05-02
  18. ↑ Tube’s Live Music (Graz, AT) KAPIKO - Grand Austrian Tour 2026 2026-05-12
  19. ↑ Cazkolik Magazine Viensko Horo - KAPIKO 2022-12-09
  20. ↑ Cazkolik Magazine Ethiopian Waltz - KAPIKO 2023-04-07
  21. ↑ SoundCloud Batuhan Aydın & Ivan Shopov - Yana 2022-07-01
  22. ↑ Gazete Duvar “Dünyanın Kavalcısı” Spassov ve “Modern Kavalcı” Aydın CRR’de buluşacak 2024-05-13
  23. ↑ AKŞAM Gazetesi Theodosii Spassov ile Batuhan Aydın’dan İstanbul’da konser 2024-06-06
  24. ↑ Bizim Yaka (e-newspaper) “UNESCO Barış Sanatçısı” unvanlı Bulgar kaval sanatçısı Theodosii Spassov ile modern kavalın önemli temsilcilerinden Batuhan Aydın, İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (İBB) Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Konser Salonu’nda müzikseverlerle buluştu 2024-06-05
  25. ↑ Elektronik Gazete (e-newspaper) “Modern Kavalcı” Aydın CRR’de 2024-06-01
  26. ↑ Habertürk Anadolu ve Balkan Halklarının Ortak Hikayesi: “Kaval” 2024-06-02
  27. ↑ Aydınlık UNESCO Barış Sanatçısı Theodosii Spassov ve modern kavalın önemli temsilcilerinden Batuhan Aydın, 5 Haziran Çarşamba günü saat 20.00’de İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (İBB) Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Konser Salonu’nda müzikseverlerle buluşacak 2024-05-31
  28. ↑ Gerçek Gündem (e-newspaper) CRR’de 5 Haziran’da “Theodosii Spassov-Batuhan Aydın” 2024-06-03
  29. ↑ Dünya Gazetesi (e-newspaper) Cemal Reşit Rey Konser Salonu - 5 Haziran’da “Theodosii Spassov-Batuhan Aydın” 2024-06-04
  30. ↑ ticketmaster Theodosii Spassov - Batuhan Aydın 2024-05-02
  31. ↑ All About Jazz Magazine Homewards (2026) 2026-04-24
  32. ↑ BizimCaz Magazine Batuhan Aydın Folk Quartet & Jülide Özçelik - Homewards 2026-04-24
  33. ↑ BBC Ara Dinkjian’la müzikteki kardeşlik duygusu üstüne... 2012-11-22
  34. ↑ Library of Congress Homegrown Plus: Ara Dinkjian & Zulal Concert and Oral History by Stephanie Hall 2019-08-14
  35. ↑ JazzTimes Magazine Nils Petter Molvær: Future Jazz Now 2019-04-25
  36. ↑ Kings Place Magazine Nils Petter Molvær is one of the most prominent performers within an electroacoustic, improvised/composed musical hybrid that has become a genre of its own 2026-04-02
  37. ↑ Zorlu PSM Grammy ödüllü Cenk Erdoğan ile özel röportaj
  38. ↑ Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Etno caz müzisyenleri Batuhan Aydın ve Nikolaus Grill ile müzik sohbeti 2019-12-08
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