Gizem Yucel
Violist / Educator
Gizem Yucel
Gizem Yücel is a versatile concert violist equally at home in many genres from jazz, rock, experimental to classical. She holds bachelors and master's degree in viola performance from Hacettepe University State Conservatory and Bilkent University in her hometown of Ankara, Turkey. After moving to the States she received her artist diploma in viola performance from the State University of New York, Purchase College in New York and her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a cognate in piano and conducting. Gizem was a full-time member of the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Turkey as well as Greensboro Symphony in North Carolina for 5 seasons under the baton of Dmitry Sitkovetsky. Her performance credits include a European tour with renowned Turkish pianist Fazil Say and a tour with the legendary rock sensation Jethro Tull.
Currently, Gizem is teaching strings and conducting the middle and high school orchestras at Ethical Culture Fieldston School as well as mentoring to teachers at Harmony Program, a non-profit organization that brings music education to underserved communities. She collaborates often with her husband Antonio Truyols who is a jazz pianist/composer, and sings original music in his band. She also sings at Fieldston Choral Society while keeping an active performance schedule on the viola and violin.