GİZEM ŞİMŞEK

Gizem Şimşek (*1991) born in İstanbul is an autodidact singer, composer, instrumentalist and performer of arab turkish and scottish descent. She started singing at the age of 5, lived in Istanbul for 23 years then moved to Switzerland, due to religious and political pressure.

 

Her repertoire ranges from Western classical to Eastern music as well as Oriental, Turkish folk, Improvisational Levantine avant folk and her own compositions. Her works draw their inspiration mostly from political, environmental and spiritual matters.

Her singing carries the influence of belting which was cultivated by mimicking the muezzins heard every day as a child plus 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, Theater Tempus Fugit, Fimmene, ensemble liberté, Amal, Junger Kammerchor Basel, Conrapunkt Chor, Texte und Töne, Kopuz Oda Orkestrası

Currently based in Basel, Switzerland.