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Concept
David Ezra Okonşar
Summary
David Ezra Okonşar (oˈkonʃaɾ; born 20 October 1961) is a Turkish–Belgian pianist, composer, conductor, writer, and educator. He was previously known as "Mehmet Okonşar".
David Ezra Okonşar was born in Istanbul (Turkey) with the first name "Mehmet" and lived in Paris during his first schooling. He started studying piano at the Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, with tr and Necil Kazım Akses. Thanks to the rich resources the Ankara Conservatory then possessed and the Médiatheque of the Centre Culturel Français d'Ankara, he grew up studying the music of Pierre Boulez, Edgard Varèse, Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Schaeffer, composers who would have a strong influence on him.
After about a year and half studying at the Ankara Conservatory, the family moved to Belgium where he entered the class of Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden at the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music. Vanden Eynden, who was to entirely re-shape the keyboard technique of Okonşar, is a dedicated follower of the style of Eduardo del Pueyo.
The keyboard technique of del Pueyo and Vanden Eynden is based on the work of Marie Jaëll, a pupil of Franz Liszt.
A change of Government in Turkey and the political turbulence of 1977 forced the Okonşar family to return to Ankara. Back at the Ankara Conservatory he was put in the class of tr for piano and of Nevit Kodallı for musical composition. Okonşar did not attend either class with much assiduity.
During this period he was connected on both a friendly and a professional basis with the pianist and conductor Selman Ada. From this friendship he learned the basics of the keyboard principles of Pierre Sancan of whom Selman Ada has been a student.
His first important recital took place in 1979. The program included Préludes by Messiaen and the Pictures of an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
Just before the military coup of 1980 the Okonşar family returned to Belgium. He resumed studying with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden. In 1980 Okonşar was awarded the Premier Prix avec Distinction. His program included the Dante Sonata by Liszt.
Official source
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