Home » Jazz Musicians » Oguz Buyukberber

Oguz Buyukberber

Amsterdam based clarinetist Oğuz Büyükberber's style merges contemporary composition, jazz and influences from his Turkish background.

He has performed at major festivals and venues all over the world, and collaborated with an incredibly wide range of master musicians and renown ensembles such as Butch Morris, Craig Harris, John Zorn, Gerry Hemingway, Simon Nabatov, Jim Black, Nils Wogram, Marc Sinan Company, Neue Vocalsolisten, Kairos String Quartet, Dresdner Sinfoniker, and Hüsnü Şenlendirici to name a few.

His body of work includes over 50 CDs including releases on ECM and Blue Note, a detailed method book explaining his own improvisational systems titled “Spiral” which is published on Donemus and dozens of commissions he received to compose a wide ranging repertoire.

Holding a masters degree from Amsterdam Conservatory where he studied bass clarinet with Harry Sparnaay at and took composition lessons from Theo Loevendie, as well as another degree in fine arts from Mimar Sinan University, Büyükberber incorporates his own visual art into musical performances and finds new ways to use live-electronics.

His latest ECM release “White”, a duo collaboration with Marc Sinan got 4 1/2 stars from the Downbeat magazine and his trio recording “Live at the Bimhuis” featuring Simon Nabatov and Gerry Hemingway received an honorary mention at the New York City Jazz Record.

Awards

Carte Blanche 2012 Bimhuis Amsterdam The Netherlands - Finalist Dutch Jazz Composition Trio Koan 2005, The Netherlands - Best Exceptional Instrumentalist Bass Clarinet- 2000 “Jazz Dergisi” magazine readers poll, Turkey - Best Exceptional Instrumentalist Bass Clarinet- 1999 “Jazz Dergisi” magazine readers poll, Turkey - Best Instrumentalist Alto Clarinet- 1993 Universities music contest, Turkey

Gear

Selmer Privilege Clarinet and Bass Clarinets, Backun Mouthpieces, Vandoren V21 Reeds, Blashaus Bass Clarinet Neck Le Blanc "Paper Clip" Contrabass Clarinet, Clark Fobes Mouthpiece

Oguz Buyukberber, Simon Nabatov, Gerry Hemingway: Live at Bimhuis

Read "Live at Bimhuis" reviewed by Vic Albani

by Vic Albani
April 14, 2015

Trentuno minuti e cinquantaquattro secondi possono bastare per dare un'idea delle indubbie capacità improvvisative di uno dei grandi nomi del free turco di questi ultimi lustri. Oguz Büyükberber, oltre che a Istanbul, è di casa anche ad Amsterdam, visto che ci vive e che con la crema della musica improvvisata europea si muove -a proprio agio -da molto tempo. Considerata la grande creatività che lo contraddistingue accanto ad una bravura tecnica sul serio rara, il festival di Istanbul ...

“The pair’s highly expressive phrases diverge, but periodically arrives at a striking juncture, either by chance or design their every note and gesture a sonic delicacy.” -Martin Langley / Downbeat Magazine From his ****1/2 review of the ECM Records CD “White” by Marc Sinan and Oğuz Büyükberber

"Only few times you ́ll hear a musician playing his music and his instrument in a way that you think;"wow what is this?" This happens when you listen to Oğuz Büyükberber.When he is playing his bass clarinet, you ́ll be taken by surprise, and you want to hear more. A super talent!" -Harry Sparnaay from the liner notes of Oğuz Büyükberber solo CD “ara”

"It is clear in all of the pieces that fluidity as well as unpredictability of water underlies the playing of both musicians. There is always an element which challenges both performers yet ultimately lifts the music to a higher level where the musicians "collide". Nowhere do Sophie Hassfurther and Oguz Büyükberber get into trouble with each other, the elusive nature of water does indeed characterize their unity." -Rinus van der Heijden on jazznu.com about "Mind Like Water"

"Büyükberber and Klein are adept at holding the compositions together even as they push the limits beyond formal constructs. The musicianship is first rate..." -Karl Ackermann / Allaboutjazz About the CD Reverse Camouflage by Oğuz Büyükberber Tobias Klein Duo

"Playing his own works and improvising on both clarinet and bass clarinet, this Turkish musician has a huge imagination, broad tonal palette, and dazzling technique." -Michael Webster / Clarinet Cache about Oğuz Büyükberber’s solo concert at International Clairnet Festival in Porto 2009

“Virtuosity, creativity, courage, experiment, questioning… In short, Oğuz Büyükberber’s solo album ‘ara’ combines all the ingredients that make a piece of work totally unique!” - Okan Aydın / Cazkolik Online Blog

“Making wonderful full colour paintings on the canvas of silence with his bass clarinet, Büyükberber provokes his audience’s imagination.” - Serhan Yediğ / Hürriyet National Turkish Daily

“Having multiple personalities in one body suits and enriches Oğuz. He not only expresses himself, but creates space for his colleagues to express themselves. A passionate quest which accompanies the wisdom of knowing the impossibility of -finding it”- with a background scenery of infinity from a Tarkowsky movie…” - Murat Beşer / Milliyet National Turkish Daily

Show less