Mehmet Yeşilçay

Concerts given with the Sarband Ensemble, in addition to those with Concerto Köln and Jordi Savall’s Hésperion XXI, made an international name of composer and musician Mehmet C. Yeşilçay.  Aside from conducting the Pera Ensemble, which he founded in 2005, it was his concerts and arrangements of Eric Satie’s works, and his performances with the great Sufi Orchestra at the Munich Philharmonic and other venues, which brought him widespread recognition.  During the 2007 UNESCO commemorative year for Mevlana, Yeşilçay compiled the program “I Am Wind You Are Fire” in collaboration with the Bergische Symphoniker (soloist: Ahmet Özhan), the same event at which he premiered his acclaimed composition QUN.  He work closely with soprano Edita Gruberová, for whom he created new arrangements of Händel’s Arias.

He also arranged and produced the pastiche ARMIDA, Amor Oriental (DHM/Sony Music).  In 2012, he directed the project "Music For The One God", financed and supported by the European Union and the Turkish government.  Numerous concerts attest to Yeşilçay’s accomplished skill not only as a conductor and arranger, but as a project leader, forging new and successful paths in both fields.

Mehmet C. Yeşilçay studied music theory, Makam instruction and the lute (Oud) under C. Tanrıkorur, and religious music under Seyyid Nusret Yeşilçay.  Currently he is working on his project “Mahomet” (“Mohammad”, a musical rendering of an ode by Goethe), and “Istanbul”, a symphonic poem for orchestra, choir and Turkish instruments, in addition to new projects for his ensemble.

The Pera Ensemble is composed of Turkish and European specialists in historically informed performance.  Depending on the nature of a given production, renowned guest musicians often participate in the project, thereby enriching an ensemble which has continued to evolve since 2005.

Mustafa Hakan Alvan

Mustafa Hakan Alvan was born in 1970 in Sakarya, Turkey. He completed the School of Conservatory in the same city. Afterwards, he worked as an artist - teacher in the Ensemble of Istanbul University Conservatory for four years. During the same years, he worked in TRT Istanbul Radio as a ney performer. Since 1991, he has been working as a ney performer in the Istanbul Historical Turkish Music Ensemble, which is an Ensemble affiliated to Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He performed in more than one hundred concerts in different countries all around the world; and composed more than two hundred pieces and hymns. He has also been giving ney lessons in Bogazici University Turkish Music Club and some culture centers for twenty years. He contributed to many tasavvuf music albums as a director and consultant. He also presented notifications in many conferences about tasavvuf music.

Ozan Pars

Born in 1983 in Turkey, Ozan Pars started his musical experience as a chorist and soloist. In 2001, he began studying singing in Turkish conservatoire in Izmir, then also graduated as drumer and percussionist in 2006. He played with the state  ensemble for traditional Turkish music in Izmir. He accompanied numerous ensembles with concerts and CD productions. Today he works with different ensembles as a singer, drumer and percusionist.

Özer Mehmet Ihsan

İhsan Özer studied music in Turkish Music State Conservatory in Istanbul. From 1985 to 2003, he conducted the Student Orchestra of Istanbul Technical University. Since 2003, he has performed with Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble and Istanbul State Historical Turkish Music Ensemble as the performer of Kanun-Santur. He acted as music director for cinema, theatre, and CD recording. He has composed many classical Turkish music songs and orchestrated musical compositions.

Pamela Lucciarini

Born in Torino, she graduated in piano and singing in Pesaro and in baroque singing in Vicenza. She studied with Robleto Merolla, Patrizia Vaccari and Gloria Banditelli thus deepening a various repertoire which allows her to engage successfully in different areas of music.
In addition to her musical versatility, Pamela Lucciarini has vocal characteristics that are well linked to the repertoire of the late eighteenth century: great agility and extension.

Sarah Perl

Sarah Perl, born in 1977 in the north of Germany, studied Viola da Gamba
with Achim Weigel, Würzburg, Niklas Trüstedt, Berlin and Hille Perl,
Bremen. She was member in masterclasses with Jordi Savall, Wieland
Kujiken, Pere Ros and Paolo Pandolfo. Sarah Perl is working with Lautten
Compagney, Freiburger Barockorchester, Dresdner Kammerchor, Bachakademie
Stuttgart, Gächinger Cantorey, Maurice Steeger and many others. She is
member of the gambaconsort Sirius Viols.
Her main emphasis is the work with her own ensemble WUNDERKAMMER.
Label of Sarah Perls records is Coviello Classics. The artist lives in
Berlin.

Sergei Filchenko

Sergey Filchenko started playing violin when he was only four years old. He continued advanced learning in the best music schools of St Petersburg and afterwards he applied to College up the State Conservatory where he has also learned to play viola.

In 1991, Filchenko became a member of Musica Petropolitana. Together with this group, he took part in the majority of the prestigious European festivals. In 2000, he joined the Played Trio. Since 2003, he became the leader and soloist of the first Russian orchestra of historical instruments, performing music from the 17^th-19^th centuries.

Sergei Filchenko has recorded more than 25 CDs.

Vanessa Heinisch

Vanessa Heinisch started her professional career as a classical guitar player. While studying guitar at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt/Main, she discovered her love for the beauty and elegance of lute instruments. After graduating with honors, she moved to Cologne to study Lute and basso continuo playing with Konrad Junghänel. In 2009, she graduated with her concert exam.

Since then, she is a sought-after musician, performing solo as well as in ensembles and orchestras. She plays renaissance and baroque lutes, theorbo and baroque guitar. As a continuo player, she is a member of the La Folia Barockorchester, having performed and recorded with soloists like Hille Perl, Jan Vogler, Maurice Steger, Simone Kermes or Dorothee Oberlinger.

On a regular basis, Vanessa Heinisch lends her talents to productions of operas, oratories and passions like Alcina/ Händel (Teatro Real, Madrid, 2015) or Atys/Lully (Theater Kiel, 2014/15).

As a chamber music performer, she specializes in music from the Renaissance to High Baroque.

By performing works of contemporary composers and cross-over experiments (recently, Il Giratempo performed and recorded with jazz saxophone player Marcus Mehl), she expands her musical universe constantly.

Vanessa Heinisch has played concerts all over Europa, in Asia and in South Africa.