Volkan Topakoğlu

Istanbulite bassist and composer Volkan Topakoğlu made his debut “Birdenbire“, a modern acoustic jazz album with himself on double bass, Berke Özgümüş on drums, Kürşad Deniz on piano, Barış Ertürk on saxophone and Eylül Biçer on guitar. The album represents a collection of Volkan’s original compositions since his graduation from Yıldız Technical University. The CD contains ten tracks and released under prestigious “Kalan” label in May, 2015.
Playing the keyboard and the guitar by ten, Volkan started his formal education in music studying cello and piano at Avni Akyol High School of Music and Arts in İstanbul. At fourteen he was already influenced by his brother and started to listen to jazz records and play the bass guitar. Acceptance from Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul followed his graduation. There he studied electric bass and double bass with Kâmil Erdem for four years and graduated with a “very good” degree, placing the “2nd”-after his wife Meriç Dönük!- in the Music Department. The following summer he attended the international jazz workshop in Pulawy, Poland and did lessons with Polish double bass virtuosos Jacek Meira-Niedziela and Bronislaw Suchanek. Became a finalist at Nomme Jazz Festival’s 13. Jazz Artist Bass Competition, Tallinn, Estonia. Played at several jazz and music festivals throughout Turkey and Europe with various bands. He also teaches and works as a studio musician, playing double bass and electric bass in albums, for radio and TV shows, and TRT Big Band recordings.