
GİZEM ŞİMŞEK
Gizem Şimşek (*1991) born and raised in İstanbul is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and performer of Arab Turkish and Scottish descent. She started singing at the age of five and studied cello until the age of sixteen. She later moved to Switzerland, due to religious and political pressure.
Her repertoire ranges from western classical to eastern music, world folk, turkish folk, improvisational levantine avant folk and her own compositions that can be described as a mix of ethereal ambient, blending her multicultural background in her own style of singing technique cultivated over the years. Her works draw their inspiration mostly from political, environmental and spiritual matters.
Her singing carries the influence of belting by mimicking the muezzins as a child, the Bulgarian twang, experimentation in Mongolian throat singing, overtone singing and the color of western baroque.
In her latest work she focuses on the two trios, TRËİ and Sere Serpe, where she develops music for theatre and live performance.
Gizem has collaborated with several artists, ensembles and theatres, such as Söngfjelagið, Neumarkt, Theater Tempus Fugit, Fimmene, ensemble liberté, Amal, Junger Kammerchor Basel, Conrapunkt Chor, Texte und Töne, Kopuz Oda Orkestrası
Currently based in Basel, Switzerland.