Ayla Erduran

Ayla Erduran (22 August 1934 – 7 January 2025) was a Turkish classical violinist. She studied in Istanbul, Paris, the US and Moscow. A fifth place prize in the 1957 Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition opened an international career for her. She toured widely, such as in the Middle East with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and in Africa with pianist Verda Erman in 1968. She taught the violin in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 1973 to 1990.

Biography Early life and education Erduran was born on 22 August 1934 in Istanbul to Kadriye Erduran and urologist Behcet Sabit Erduran. Her mother was of mixed heritage, with Armenian, Greek, Italian, and Polish ancestry. Ayla was introduced to violin by her mother, who played the instrument. After her graduation, she went to the United States where she studied with Ivan Galamian and Zino Francescatti until 1955.

Career In 1958, Erduran premiered Ulvi Cemal Erkin's Violin Concerto in Belgium, conducted by the composer.

Her African tour, with Turkish pianist Verda Erman, began in 1968.

Erduran performed with major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester, and the Czech Philharmonic. In 1985, she recorded the Violin Concerto by Johannes Brahms with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Her death was announced by Gülsin Onay. On 9 January 2025, after the ceremony at the Atatürk Cultural Center Türk Telekom Opera Hall and the funeral prayer at Taksim Mosque, she was interred in her family's plot at the Zincirlikuyu Cemetery in Istanbul. 1964: Harriet Cohen-Olga Veryney Award 2012: Medaille d'Honneur – Medaille de Vermeil, Société d'Encouragement au Progrès and the French Senate 2015: Honorary Award, D-Marin Festival