Ekin Cengizkan

Born in Ankara, he started playing drums at the age of 11 in Adana and performed with school bands. After moving to Istanbul, he worked with Selami Sevinç. In 2000, he started his music education at Yıldız Technical University. At the university, he worked with Şenol Küçükyıldırım and played with various bands. He formed his own band Anima and played at various festivals with his band. In 2006, he recorded his first album Animasal. She shared the stage with Önder Focan, Kerem Görsev, Sibel Köse, Selen Gülün and others at jazz festivals and jazz venues.

Between 2008-2011, he studied percussion at Berklee College of Music. He studied with Jamey Haddad, Ian Froman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Dicenso, Ralph Peterson, Jon Hazilla, Joe Galiota. He received the Berklee Achievement Award, the Distinguished Student Award and the Percussion Department Achievement Award.

Since 2011, Ekin Cengizkan has been living and playing in New York City, working on his own compositions, recording albums in Turkey and performing with Michael Schiefel’s Istanbul Quartet at SAMM’s bistro in Ankara.