Muhiddin Dürrüoğlupiano
Few things can bring such a sense of bliss and professional satisfaction as a chamber music ensemble that explores a work meticulously and with a deep connection on a personal level. For me, every time we come together for a new project is synonymous with profound joy.
Biography
Pianist, composer, teacher, Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu is above all an incredibly endearing musician with an outstanding artistic persona.
Noticed at a young age for his creativity and exceptional instrumental talent, he was admitted at the age of 11 in the class of the eminent teacher Kamuran Gündemir at the Ankara Conservatoire. Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu gave his first concerts immediately in his first year, successfully mixing the works of great masters with his first trials as a composer.
Three years later, he was admitted to the bachelor’s programme and was given the opportunity to join the class of Ilhan Baran, a composer who studied in Paris under Henri Dutilleux and who would soon become his mentor. Baran taught him composition and musical theory in the broad sense of the term with meticulousness and passion.
With his bachelor’s diploma from the Ankara Conservatoire under his belt at the age of 18, Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu moved to Belgium to pursue his double training with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden (piano) and Jacqueline Fontyn (composition) at the Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles. Two years later, he was accepted as a pianist at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, graduating in 1992 with a degree in virtuosity with great distinction.
Always anxious to better himself, he began a doctorate at the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington (United States) with Edward Auer (piano) and Donald Freund (composition).
During his studies, Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu distinguished himself above all as a pianist (European Piano Competition in 1991, Nany Philippart Competition in 1992, Belgian Vocation Foundation in 1995, J. and W. Pelemans Award from the Belgian Union of Composers distinguishing his contribution to dissemination of the national repertoire), but from 1993, he also began to be recognised as a composer: his ‘Six Preludes’ for piano earned him the Arthur De Greef Award of the Belgian Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Letters and Sciences and ‘Contact’ for flute and piano led him to win the musical creation cup of the Academy of Lutèce in Paris. In 1996, he won the Sabam Award for ‘Contact 2’ at the competition for chamber-music concerts and in 2000 he received the André Chevillion-Yvonne Bonnaud Award from the Fondation de France for ‘Le Tourneur’.
Two of his works have won awards at international composition competitions: ‘Nebula’ won the Irène Fuérison Award and ‘Varioactivité’ won 2nd prize in the Hulste contest.
His recordings included works by Beethoven, Dohnanyi, Schnittke, Bernstein and Gershwin, while also giving a prominent place to modern-day composers.
His latest recording, the album ‘Fugitives’ published by Cyprès in autumn 2019, is devoted to his own chamber music compositions performed by the Kheops ensemble.