Yiğit Özatalay

Born in 1985 in Isparta, completed his bachelor degree at Istanbul Bilgi University Music Department studying theory and composition with Selen Gülün and Onur Türkmen, and jazz piano with Gülün and Tuna Ötenel. Studied composition with Wojciech Widlak and Wojciech Zych at the Academy of Music “Krzysztof Penderecki” in Cracow, Poland. Worked as a research assistant at Istanbul Bilgi University Music Department carrying out the assistance of Michael Ellison for two years. In 2009, with the scholarship of Bilgi, went to Italy for his post-graduate degree in composition at Conservatorio di Musica “Giuseppe Verdi” di Milano under guidance of Alessandro Solbiati. Worked as a lecturer at Bilgi Music and as the pianist-music director of the plays Ben Bertolt Brecht, Yaşamaya Dair, Güneşin Sofrasında and Merhaba produced by Dostlar Theatre. Published five albums under the name Yürüyen Merdiven, a drums-piano duo formed together with Mustafa Kemal Emirel. Completed his doctoral studies in composition at Mimar Sinan University under guidance of Özkan Manav. Having a book called Epiphanies and Openness, Özatalay continues working at Bilgi Music as a faculty member, producing in the field of contemporary acoustic music and getting up on stage with his band Yürüyen Merdiven. He is a member of the artistic board at Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall since 2024-2025 season. He conceives of music as a tool to narrativize the plurality and dialectics that he sees among the basic principles of life.