Büşra Kayıkçı

She is considered one of the most exciting pianists of our time. Born and raised in Istanbul, Büşra Kayıkçı was exposed to art early on, particularly ballet, painting, and piano music. After completing her studies in interior architecture and environmental design, she began to incorporate more and more musical elements into her design concepts. As an interdisciplinary artist, Büşra Kayıkçı strives to create a unique voice at the intersection of music, space, and image. Since her debut recording "Eskizler" (2019), she has consistently sought to expand her sound palette, further developing her sound in the album "Places" (2024) and most recently in the EP project "Weaving" (2025). "Weaving" is a very personal and conceptual album inspired by the ancient weaving traditions of Anatolia, where her family roots lie. With this music, she draws a parallel between traditional looms and her piano, both instruments with an imposing silhouette and complex inner workings, to explore storytelling through both music and craftsmanship. "In Anatolia, weaving was never just a craft - it was a form of expression. Women wove their life stories into every pattern, thread by thread, anchoring their joys, worries, hopes, and dreams in intricate designs. Perhaps they could not always articulate their feelings in words, but they could weave them into something lasting. I believe that composing music has the same effect on me. Even though our art forms are different, we are engaged in the same activity – we translate our inner world into something tangible." So says the artist about her new work. Each title of this album revolves around a symbolic motif often found in the patterns of Anatolian carpets – from the dragon, which symbolizes power or perhaps the enemy, to the bird, which stands for news, love, or happiness. These symbols are more than just embellishments; they carry deep cultural and emotional significance and speak a language of their own, conveying feelings that cannot always be expressed in words alone. To further highlight the essence of this tradition in a modern soundscape, Büşra Kayıkçı has combined her complex piano melodies with sounds from real looms: the introduction of the album is based on recordings from a workshop that capture the authentic, rhythmic pulse of the craft itself, synchronized with her own hands on the keys. "I don't know if this is just a recording project or something deeper – perhaps an attempt to find my own thread in this long tradition," she reflects. "But I know that, just like these carpets, it contains something personal, something unspoken, something waiting to be woven into sound." Büşra Kayıkçı has presented her music on renowned international stages, including the Berlin Funkhaus, the Klavierfestival Ruhr, the Piano Era Festival in Tokyo, and an ARTE concert "Piano Day" in France. Additionally, she has collaborated with the video platform La Blogothèque and the New York Theatre Ballet with Melissa Toogood. Notably, a reworking of her composition "The Middle of Nowhere" by Nicolas Jaar was featured in the Givenchy show at Paris Fashion Week 2025; "Qarib" was included in Nils Frahm's LEITER Verlag Piano Day compilation; and she composed the piece "Kuledibi No. 1" specifically for a collaboration with an Istanbul fashion brand to celebrate cultural diversity. Büşra Kayıkçı continues to explore new creative realms and connect with a global audience. "In a way, as a composer, I design a space, and the audience moves within it and its architecture. I believe that when we listen to a song, we travel from room to room and from time to time. When a melody touches you deeply, you can experience a place with your mind and soul." Current EP: "Weaving" (2025), Warner Classics / Parlophone Records Ltd.