about

Batuhan Aydın was born on July 14th, 1991 in Istanbul as the son of professional folk dancers. His mother’s family originates from the Ludogorie region (also known as Deliorman region) of Bulgaria. His father’s family originates from Gümüshane, a city in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. His musical life began by imitating his father's percussion playing when he was 3-4 years old.

 

Aydın was accepted to study at the high school of  Istanbul Technical University’s Turkish Music State Conservatory, where he began to play the kaval, the instrument he had always been drawn to. He began to study kaval with Cihan Yurtçu and continued his instrumental education with Serdar Deli and later with Haydar Tanrıverdi. 

 

At an academic level, Aydın studied kaval and Bulgarian folk music with Lyuben Dossev at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts - "Prof. Asen Diamandiev" in Plovdiv/Bulgaria, and Musicology at Istanbul Technical University's Turkish Music State Conservatory in Istanbul/Turkey. 

 

From 2010-2013, Aydın was a member of the Turkish State Radio (TRT) Youth Orchestra in Istanbul, where he worked as a kaval player. In 2014, he was the youngest instrumentalist to be invited to the first "International Kaval Conference" in Istanbul/Turkey. In the following years he has held many workshops, masterclasses and seminars on Bulgarian folk music and advanced playing techniques on the kaval. 

 

Next to playing the kaval as a soloist and orchestra musician in a variety of ensembles, he is founding member and kaval player of the ethno/world jazz and fusion formation KAPIKO. 

 

Batuhan Aydın is regarded as one of the best kaval players of the new generation. His style is unique, with influences from the folk music of Anatolia and the Balkans, jazz and free improvisation.