"He has a stupendous technique, a finely differentiated touch, a subtle handling of the pedal - and just as importantly, he has taste."

Edwin Baumgartner

Wiener Zeitung, June 7, 2021

 

Emre was born in 1990 in İzmir, Turkey. His talent for learning at a rapid pace was evident at an early age, eventually leading to a musical education. He started his education in music in 1998 under the “Educational Act for Prodigy Children”, studying with Kamuran Gündemir in Ankara. In 2001 he was awarded the first prize in the Blue Bird Competition in Crimea, Ukraine, where he was also awarded a prize for the best contemporary music interpretation.

 

Starting at an early age he played with major orchestras across the country performing concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. He continued his studies with Fazıl Say and Sanem Berkalp at the Bilkent University, where he also studied composition. 

In 2007 Yavuz was awarded the Chopin Special Prize in Ibla, Sicily. In 2010 he won the "Rotary Interpretationspreis Chopin & Schumann" in Vienna and gave concerts with the Bratislava Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals in Austria, including at Musikverein and Radio-Kulturhaus in Vienna.

 

He studied with Roland Batik in Vienna, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling in Hannover, and with Arie Vardi in Hannover and Tel Aviv. He became the first piano student of the Vienna Conservatory to graduate with full grades upon his final recital, performing works by Beethoven, Saygun and Rachmaninoff. 

 

In 2012 he won the first prize in the 4th International Rosario Marciano Competition in Vienna where he was designated as an “outstanding artistic personality”. In 2013 he performed Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3 under the conduction of Zubin Mehta in the traditional Gala Concert in Tel Aviv. In 2015 he wont the first prize in the National Piano Competition in Ankara, in 2016 first prize and Schubert Prize at the Vienna International Piano Competition, third prize in Schubert Competition in Dortmund, and lastly first prize at Kissinger KlavierOlymp in Bad Kissingen where his unconventional programming with a self-composed piece and works Scarlatti, Rameau, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Saygun was especially praised. He performed in festivals like Kissinger Sommer, Beethoven Festival and Schumann Festival in Bonn, as well as many other recitals in Russia, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Israel and Cyprus.

 

"This album is one of the most enjoyable and indeed challenging discs of Rachmaninoff’s piano music that I have heard in a long time."

Nick Barnard

MusicWeb International, March 2021

 

Emre Yavuz's first album with the solo works by Sergei Rachmaninoff was released in October 2020 with the TYXart label. It has been received with great admiration by critics. In publications such as Wiener Zeitung, Classics Today, Andante, Pizzicato, he was praised for his intellectual vision, his technique, his brave and original interpretation. Emre Yavuz, who was awarded the title of Bösendorfer Artist with this album, lives in Vienna.