Gülsin Onay travels the world with her piano

TEKİRDAĞ

Turkey’s internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso, Gülsin Onay, started playing piano at the age of three-and-a-half. She has traveled to 80 countries in five continents so far to perform in concerts. 

Giving her first concert at the age of six, her talent in piano was discovered within a short time. Onay has received special education as part of the law for gifted and talented children. 

Known as a child prodigy in the world of music, the State Artist pianist has an international piano career in 80 countries in five continents from Argentina to Japan. 

Onay has given concerts with the world’s best known orchestras, including the Dresden Staatskapelle, British Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, British Chamber Orchestra, Japanese Philharmonic, Munich Radio Symphonic, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony and many others. 

“My family was a family of music. Some played violin, some played piano and some were orchestra conductors. It has continued from generation to generation. Since I was born as the child of such a family, I grew up with the piano sounds of my mother and violin sounds of my father. I wanted to be like my mother on the piano,” Onay said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency. 

She said music brings people together and every country has a different perception of music. “I had a desire to become like my mother when she played piano. I was pushing my mother to take her seat in front of the piano. I was jealous of my mother on the piano and started playing when I was three-and-a-half years old, a very early age. I gave my first concert at the age of six and later on was sent to Paris as a child prodigy. I graduated with a first there,” said Onay.

The Third Gülsin Onay Piano Days was recently organized in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ. She said that such events made artists feel honored.

“Throughout my career, I have given concerts in 80 countries. I have been impressed by one of my concerts in Mongolia. People had left their tents to come listen to me. It was the same in Ethiopia and Kenya. My concerts in some countries have amazed me so much. It is very pleasing to have events organized with my name. It is wonderful to have streets or piano days named after me,” said Onay.