Violin virtuoso Suna Kan dies at 86

One of Türkiye’s best violin virtuosos, Suna Kan, who served as a soloist and chief violinist in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra for many years, has passed away at the age of 86.

Nuri Kan, the father of Suna Kan, who was born in Adana in 1936, was also a viola player in the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Suna Kan, who started learning the violin from her father when she was only 5 years old, later took violin lessons from her family friend Hulusi Karsel.

The artist gave her first recital on April 18, 1946, in the concert hall of the Ankara State Conservatory, and began to be called the “wonder child” after this recital. She received a state scholarship to study abroad with The Wonder Child Law, which was created in 1948.

Kan, who was sent to the Paris Conservatory, graduated in 1952 with first place. She won numerous awards in various parts of the world and returned home in 1957 and was appointed as the soloist of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra.

She has held the title of the State Artist since 1971. She had not given a concert for a long time due to health problems since 2017.