Biography

17-year-old İlyun Bürkev, who started her piano education at the age of 4, continues her piano education with Prof. Burcu Aktaş Urgun at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory, with state artist pianist Gülsin Onay, and with Prof. Pavel Gililov at Salzburg Mozarteum University. She won the 1st place in the Mozarteum University Pre-College exam and became the first Pre-College student in Prof. Pavel Gililov's career.

İlyun Bürkev, who has extensive international performance experience and has developed her musical career by collaborating with world-renowned artists and institutions, studied with important professors such as Alfred Brendel, Piotr Paleczny, Milana Chernyavska, Björn Lehmann, Vincenzo Balzani in masterclasses. At the masterclass held at Mozarteum University, Alfred Brendel presented Bürkev with her handwritten cadenza.

 

İlyun Bürkev, who has received awards in many international competitions, recently received the 3rd prize in the Jeune Chopin International Piano Competition organized by the Chopin Institute, and the Grand Prize and 1st prize in the International Concerto Competition at the Philadelphia Music Festival in the USA. He met Martha Argerich at the award ceremony of the Jeune Chopin Competition at the Montbenon Concert Hall in Lausanne and shared the stage at the same concert.

 

Despite her young age, Bürkev gave solo, chamber music and orchestral concerts in the world's most important concert halls. In 2023, she performed Beethoven's 3rd Piano Concerto in the most important concert halls of Germany with the Klassische Philarmonie Bonn orchestra. The opening concert of the tour, which took place in 11 cities in Germany, started at the Berlin Konzerthaus and ended at the Herkulessaal in Munich. In 2024, she performed the opening concert of the 52nd Istanbul Music Festival organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts with the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra accompanied by conductor Cem Mansur. In the same year, Bürkev gave solo and chamber music concerts at many important festivals and performed with the Mariinsky Orchestra and conductor Cemi'i Can Deliorman at the Mariinsky Theater. She performed with conductors such as İbrahim Yazıcı, Alexander Hülshoff, Rengim Gökmen, Tolga Atalay Ün, Hasan Niyazi Tura and Nil Venditti.

While continuing her education as a regular scholarship student at the Lichtenstein Academy of Music, one of the most important music academies in Europe, for 2 years, she continues to take an active part in the concerts of the academy.

•⁠ Jeune Chopin 3rd International Piano Competition, Switzerland: 3rd Prize (2023)

•⁠ ⁠Philadelphia International Music Festival Concerto Competition: 1st place and Grand Prize Award (2024)

•⁠ Istanbul Chopin International Piano Competition: 1st place, Best Chopin Interpretation, Best National Work Interpretation (2021)

•⁠ ⁠Istanbul Pera International Piano Competition: 1st place (2019)

•⁠ ⁠Paris International Music Competition: 3rd place (2018)

•⁠ Memorial Jurica Murai International Piano Competition: 1st place (2018)

•⁠ Maria Herrero International Piano Competition 1st place and best musicality award (2019)

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Events

30
Jun
2026
Piano Salon Christophori

Berlin, Germany

09
Jul
2026
Cannes Music Festival

Cannes, France

27
Jul
2026
Evangelische Dorfkirche Samedan

Samedan, Switzerland

10
Sep
2026
Cloître des Jacobins

Toulouse, France

Archive

05
Jun
2026
Universität Mozarteum, Solitär

Salzburg, Austria

23
May
2026
Schloss Engers

Neuwied-Engers, Germany

Videos

Photos

Awards

Jeune Chopin 3rd International Piano Competition, Switzerland

3rd Prize (2023)

Philadelphia International Music Festival Concerto Competition

1st place and Grand Prize Award (2024)

Istanbul Chopin International Piano Competition

1st place, Best Chopin Interpretation, Best National Work Interpretation (2021)

⁠Istanbul Pera International Piano Competition

1st place (2019)

Paris International Music Competition

3rd place (2018)

Memorial Jurica Murai International Piano Competition

1st place (2018)

Maria Herrero International Piano Competition

1st place and best musicality award (2019)