Choir Director


Burak Onur Erdem


The Ministry of Culture and Tourism State Polyphonic Choir has been one of Turkey's leading professional ensembles since its establishment in 1988. Founded through the efforts of Hikmet Şimşek, the State Polyphonic Choir has collaborated with notable conductors such as Walter Strauss, Ahter Destan, İbrahim Yazıcı, and Cemi'i Can Deliorman, and has performed concerts with many esteemed orchestral conductors. Since 2017, the choir has continued its work under the direction of Burak Onur Erdem.

The State Polyphonic Choir, which held its first concert in 1989 under the direction of Ahmed Adnan Saygun, has given over a thousand concerts in many cities across Turkey and has received acclaim in various countries abroad, including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria, and South Korea. Among its notable performances are the world premiere of Harbison's work dedicated to Pope John Paul II in Vatican, Mahler's 2nd Symphony in Berlin, Britten's War Requiem, and Verdi's Requiem.

In recognition of its excellence, the State Polyphonic Choir received the "Choir of the Year" award at the 2010 Donizetti Awards. The choir's repertoire includes a wide range of a cappella choral literature and numerous symphonic works. Over the years, they have contributed to various albums, including Orff's Carmina Burana, Mozart's Requiem, Saygun's Yunus Emre Oratorio, Say's Nazım Oratorio, and Sun's Kurtuluş Film Music, as well as two albums featuring folk songs by Saygun and Sun.

The State Polyphonic Choir has also made a significant contribution to promoting Turkish culture worldwide by commissioning compositions from internationally recognized composers like Eurico Carrapatoso, Giovanni Bonato, and Henning Sommerro, who set the works of Turkish poets to music. Since 2016, the choir has been organizing the Walter Strauss Choral Conducting Masterclass, inviting esteemed international figures such as Paulo Lourenço, Lorenzo Donati, Ragnar Rasmussen, Josep Vila i Casanas, and Jan Schumacher, attracting conductors and conductor candidates from all over Turkey and abroad. 

Soprano

Aytül Baktır Uğur

Esin Hoşsöyler

Betül Alpay

Betül Özdemir

Cansever Ersoy

M. Dilek Atay

H. Engin Göksu Ünal

İlknur Tunçdemir

Fatma Zehra Aslan

Gülay Akın

Gülben Özsışık

Gülşen Kofoğlu

F. Hilal Bilgili

İmren Hacımustafa

Nilgün Kavut

Leyla Aylin Akdoğan

Meltem Altun

İrem Kırgız Aray

Özlem Ercan Sevim

Alto

Demet Erdem

Elifcan Kamiloğlu

Esra Hande Lüleci

Füsun Yargıcı

Gamze Yıldırım

Gonca Örücü

Gönül Güven Şahin

M. İnci Tığlı Ayağ

İpek Seren Başeğmez

Serap Özdemir

Mehtap Aksu

Nejla Danış

Nuran Ener

Özem Şeker

Sema Baysal

Tenor

Ahmet Camcı

Can Serhat Saygı

Cemal Gürsel Hakan

Erdem Serkan Saraç

Emin Batu Çelikel

Fikri Hakan Güleç

Hüseyin Alp Akyıldız

Hüseyin Gökçeaslan

İrfan Yüce

Levent Tereci

Nezih Renda

Nüsret Özer

Oğulcan Gökalp

Savaş Sakarya

Şahin Altun

İlker Aksütoğlu

Tayfun Ünver

Alp Utku

Bass

Adem Yörümez

Ali Sinan Gülsen

Ali Barbaros Erdem

Buğra Bayram Aydınoğlu

Bülent Ergin

Cem Hakan Özaslan

Cengizhan Yargıcı

Eren Ateşoğlu

Kemal Mert Kamiloğlu

Levent Oktay Kaya

Özer Öcbe

Tolga Salman

Turgay Budak

Volkan Nail Gevrek

Buğra Can Öğüt

Görkem Yıldırım

Doğancan Koyulhisar

Cem Değirmen

Devlet Çoksesli Korosu

Talatpaşa Bulvarı No:38

Altındağ/Ankara/Türkiye

T: 0312 470 55 76

F: 0312 470 55 97

M: devletcokseslikorosu@ktb.gov.tr