Sinem Ceylan

Sinem Ceylan is a Turkish violinist based in Rotterdam, born and raised in Eskişehir, Türkiye. Her musical journey began at a very young age. When she was five years old, she had chickenpox and had to stay at home for an extended period. During that time, her mother introduced her to a small keyboard and helped her learn the notes using colours. This playful introduction became her first connection with music.

Around the same age, she also started taking ballet classes. Her ballet teacher quickly noticed her strong sense of rhythm, musical ear, and disciplined approach, and encouraged her family to consider formal music education. Sinem began taking piano lessons at the age of seven, but her path to the violin came through an unexpected encounter. When she was ten, a parent at her ballet school, who happened to be a violin teacher at a conservatory, noticed her musical sensitivity during classes and performances and invited her to join her violin class.

At the age of eleven, Sinem passed the conservatory entrance exams and began her violin studies at Anadolu University State Conservatory Music and Ballet Middle School in the class of Özlem Sümer. From an early stage, she was actively involved in orchestral performances. In 2019, she was selected as a young soloist with both the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Symphony Orchestra and the Anadolu University State Conservatory Student Orchestra. That same year, she was awarded second prize at the VIII International Contest of Young Performers of Classical Music (under 20) among countries of the Islamic world.

After graduating from high school as the top student of her class, she continued her Bachelor’s studies at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory in Istanbul with Prof. Pelin Halkacı Akın. After two and a half years of study there, she spent a semester in Norway through the Erasmus+ programme, studying at the University of Bergen Grieg Academy with Ricardo Odriozola. During this period, she took part in the world premiere of Ketil Hvoslef’s 13 Violin Duets and a chamber orchestra project marking the centenary of a Spanish and a Norwegian composer. She also performed in the opening ceremony of the 70th Bergen International Festival with the Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

While studying in Norway, she applied to Codarts University of the Arts and was accepted. Choosing to rebuild her playing on a fresh foundation, she decided to start again from the first year of the Bachelor programme. She is currently continuing her studies at Codarts in Rotterdam under the guidance of Eva Stegeman and Pavel Fischer.

Throughout her education, Sinem has been actively involved in orchestral playing, performing with ensembles such as the Doğuş Children’s Symphony Orchestra, Anadolu Symphony Orchestra, Anadolu University State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Tepebaşı Children’s Symphony Orchestra, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts State Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Turkey Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Grieg Academy Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Codarts Symphony Orchestra, Nationaal Jeugdorkest (NJO), and De Doelen Ensemble. Within these orchestras, she has taken on roles ranging from principal second violin and concertmaster to tutti player.

Driven by curiosity and a constant desire to grow, she sees her musical path as an ongoing process of exploration and self-discovery. She is deeply interested in both solo and ensemble playing and continues to shape her artistic voice through performance, collaboration, and reflection. Alongside her performance and studies, she has been actively involved in teaching. Since 2022, she has been giving both violin and piano lessons, working with students of different ages and levels. Teaching has become an important part of her musical life.