A Conversation with Aysegul Durakoglu Part 2
My childhood piano teacher and mentor Aysegul Durakoglu speaks on her influences, the music of Debussy, and her evolving relationship with Turkish music.
A Conversation with Ayesgul Durakoglu (Part 2)
In Part 2, Ms. Emine opens up about the pianists who shaped her artistry, her deep connection to Debussy, the rediscovery of her Turkish musical roots, and why pursuing music today still begins with passion.
Click here to read Part 1:
Q: Who would you say are the pianists that have had a major influence on your playing?
Ms. Emine:
First off, I should say my mentors. My first mentor who trained me was a great pianist, Verda Un. My other mentor was Gyorgy Sandor, an excellent pianist from Hungary, who himself studied with Bela Bartok. He’s been considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. My Russian mentor Gregory Haimovsky exposed me to the music of Debussy and Messiaen.
For pianists, there are the Russian pianists, Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels. I’ll tell you a personal anecdote. When I grew up in Turkey, we didn’t have access to LPs or music because there wasn’t an open market. That started much later. I didn’t get to hear music from great pianists except my teachers whenever they played concerts in Istanbul. My uncle, who was a military official in Moscow, brought me back some LPs, mostly performances by Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter. As a kid, I had a little toy record player. I played these so much that I ended up destroying them. This was my first exposure to this great Russian school of piano.
Of course, there’s Michelangeli, Claudio Arrau performing their romantic repertoire. And there’s Samson François with his interpretations of Debussy. These are the names that come to my mind.
Q: All of these names are familiar to me because those are the pianists you told me to listen to as a kid! The Prokofiev sonata I played as a teenager was even edited by Gyorgy Sandor.
Ms. Emine:
Wow, yes! That’s right. When you worked on that Prokofiev sonata with me, I had his edition.
Q: You mentioned Debussy. How did you come to have such a connection with Debussy’s music? You perform and have recorded his music. Which works of his are your favorite?
Ms. Emine:
I recorded his 12 piano etudes. These are his latest works he composed when he was ill just before he died. I’m also constantly working on his preludes. Some of my favorite pieces by Debussy are Estampes, Images, and L'isle Joyeuse. Incredible works. I really love his music. Even his early romantic music like waltzes and mazurkas.
My connection to Debussy actually began in Istanbul. The conservatory where I was trained was modeled after the French conservatory model. Most of my mentors were trained at the Paris Conservatory. As a child I played music from French composers from Debussy to Ravel, Saint-Saëns — a lot of Saint-Saëns because he wrote music for children. Later, I lost that connection. At Juilliard I didn’t work on French impressionistic music as much. Not everybody played Debussy then. I didn’t hear a lot of his music played or performed. I focused mainly on Bartok and Prokofiev’s music with Gyorgy Sandor.
I later went to New York University to work with Gregory Haimovsky, who I had heard so much about, to pursue my PhD in music theory and performance. That was the only institution that offered a PhD in music performance. Haimovsky recorded all of Debussy’s preludes. He was also the first Russian pianist to introduce the music of Olivier Messiaen to Russia. I started with a more traditional repertoire with him, but when I needed to start my dissertation, I spoke with him because I wasn’t sure what to do. He asked me, “Is there some composer that you really like, but you don’t feel eligible to play?” For me, that was Debussy. I played his music as a child but I never had the chance to deeply get involved with it. He said to me, “What are you waiting for? I’m right here!” I worked with him on Debussy, which was really inspirational. This, of course, generated ideas and questions about his music, and how I approached and analyzed it. I ended up writing my PhD dissertation — 258 pages — on just three etudes.
There’s also an organic connection to Debussy’s music. For me growing up in Istanbul, I think of the Bosphorus, crossing the water. I was always mesmerized looking at water, watching the motion changing with the winds, with the lights reflecting. It’s always in my imagination. Debussy’s music is so much about the sounds and images of nature. We know from his letters that he always sought isolation in places by the sea or ocean. He was so attuned to these sounds of nature, like the rhythm of water. That’s how he transmitted these elements to piano. It works with my childhood memories of captivation with the ocean water in Turkey.
Q: Speaking of Turkey, can you speak about your relationship with the music traditions in Turkey and the wider Eastern Mediterranean?
Ms. Emine:
I’m glad you asked this question. I’ll tell you very honestly. In Turkey when I grew up, I had this great Western classical music tradition, but we were told not to listen to Turkish music or folk music. Our mentors believed that would change our focus — the way we think about and feel music. In a way, they were right. That’s how I could focus and absorb the Western tradition so well at an early age. But of course, it was harsh. It didn’t have to be black and white.
In my household, my mom loved classical music and art. But my dad was into Turkish folk music and dancing. While I was practicing Chopin’s music, I would hear my dad with the radio on, clapping, dancing, and singing to Turkish music. It was a great combination! The other exposure I did have was through the music of Turkish contemporary composers who wrote music with Western techniques.
At NYU, I was part of the contemporary music ensemble directed by my mentor Gregory Haimovsky while I was doing my PhD. And he said to me, “There must be some Turkish composers. Why don’t we play their music?” I ended up bringing back some Turkish music and we had a concert at Merkin Concert Hall. I felt that I had a responsibility to these composers since I knew them. Studying this Turkish music was a totally new approach. I was very fascinated.
Being involved in Turkish music suddenly brought me a lot of opportunities. I was asked to play Turkish music, which I happily did. It opened a totally new window. This connects to the job I had at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, where I had my piano studio. I met with a group of professors from there. Apparently, they had a Turkish studies program, which I hadn’t had a clue about. That was the time I was looking for jobs right after I had gotten my PhD. They suggested I come to Stevens and give a lecture about Turkish music. I told them that it wasn’t my area. I didn’t feel comfortable giving a lecture on it. They told me that I could at least play some Turkish music and speak about something I was more comfortable with. I agreed to give a lecture and present contemporary Turkish music. They then suggested, “Why don’t you come teach for us?” I studied a lot and talked to some musicians and experts in Turkish music, who helped me a great deal. This is how I started teaching at the college. They then started the music and technology program, where I taught piano. That’s how I got this job. Turkish music opened this opportunity for me. I even designed a course, music of the Eastern Mediterranean cultures. I’m still teaching that course and playing and learning Turkish music as well.
Q: What advice do you have for young people who want to pursue piano today?
Ms. Emine:
It is amazing and a great opportunity for young musicians to pursue a career in piano. But there are also a lot of challenges in making a career. The only criteria is to have the passion. No matter what happens. It’s almost like a medieval love — an unattainable love. You have to love and pursue that, even though your lover isn’t going to respond to you!
I would also suggest building business and marketing skills from the very beginning, together with that, and create your own path. It’s still difficult but there are also a lot of opportunities. Also being a musician is not about being at the top of the world performing for thousands and thousands of people. Being a musician is also about studying. It’s like an ocean with so many different areas. There is teaching. There’s gigging. There is music technology. We have this program at Stevens Institute where they learn about sound engineering, acoustics, and physics. There are endless opportunities. It’s very important for students to be open-minded.
I’ve been thinking a lot about our studies together. Not all piano students have the gift or talent for composition. I believe you have a great gift for that, which is rare. I also compose. I studied composition. But I never felt that I had a gift that would make a difference in this world, so I didn’t pursue it professionally. But you had that. When you combined that with your upbringing in performance and the discipline of dealing with the score, you enriched your musical understanding and musicianship. That will bring a lot of opportunities, especially creative opportunities. There are more possibilities if you can play and compose music. I think that was also one of the reasons I pushed you in that direction. There are more alternatives for you to be able to create your own path.
Q: I really thank you for pushing me toward this path. It was probably one of the most important decisions in my life.
Ms. Emine:
I’m happy to hear that. Sometimes when we give those suggestions as mentors to students, you listen to your instinct as a mentor. But sometimes it might not always work out. It’s a great responsibility and I’m glad that worked out for you.
You are very fortunate, Wynton. Grow your gift!