Dilbağ Tokay

She completed her cello education, which she began with Reşit Erzin at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSFAU) Istanbul State Conservatory, by graduating from the Proficiency in Art program of the same conservatory. Taking part in specialization studies with Mikhail Khomitzer, Niels Ullner, Frieder Berthold and Alexander Rudin, Dilbağ Tokay gave solo, chamber music and orchestra-accompanied concerts in many cities at home and abroad in Sweden, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Georgia, Bulgaria, Syria, Belgium, the TRNC, Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Romania, Austria, Brazil and India. She also gave masterclasses in Brazil, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Syria and many cities at home. Invited as a jury member to international competitions in Italy, Finland, Bulgaria and Serbia as well as in Turkiye, the artist, in addition to her solo work, has since 1998 given concerts as the “CelloPianoDuo” with pianist Emine Serdaroğlu, the duo having three albums: the CD “Turkish Music for Cello and Piano” released by NAXOS, and “Works for Cello and Piano” and “Dreamlike” released on digital platforms such as Spotify and iTunes by Pur Records. Tokay gives concerts with the cello quartet “Cello Paradiso” founded in 2020, and has also taken part with this quartet in the “Cello Paradiso” album released on digital platforms such as Spotify and iTunes and in Fazıl Say’s work, the single “Kumru Ballad.” In addition to her stage performances, the artist works as an artistic advisor within IDEA Music, takes part in the advisory board of the “ENKA Sahne” project realized by ENKA Sanat and in the selection committee of the “Lale Tara Art Scholarship,” and serves as a faculty member at the MSFAU Istanbul State Conservatory. Among the awards Dilbağ Tokay has received are the Haydn Young Music Competition “Teaching Award” and the Global Genius Music Competition “Distinguished Teacher Award” in the United Kingdom, the International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition “Most Successful Teacher Award” in Croatia, the International German and Austrian Music Competition “High Educator Award” and the The Sound of Time Competition “Teaching Award” in Bulgaria, the International Young Musicians Competition “Teaching Merit Award” in Italy, the “Distinguished Teacher” Award at the IMKA Competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the International E-Muse Competition “Honor Award” in Greece, and in Turkiye the “Music Educator of the Year” at the Andante Magazine Classical Music Awards and, with the CelloPianoDuo, the “Recording of the Year Award” at the 2016 Donizetti Classical Music Awards for the CD titled “Turkish Music for Cello and Piano” consisting of works by Turkish composers, released by the world giant NAXOS.