Meet the Folk Orchestra!
Mehmet Ali Yücel Mehmet Ali Yücel is an avid orchestral, chamber music, and crossover violist and artist, and pairs a Turkish background with Western Classical training, resulting in evocative and innovative performances. He is currently a tenured member of the viola section of the Augsburg Philharmonic in Augsburg, Germany, and has played as a substitute with the city orchestras of Ulm, Wuppertal, Bochum, and Göttingen. He received his orchestral training as a scholarship recipient in the Orchestral Academy of the Essen Philharmonic in the city of Essen, Germany, and also served as both Principal Second Violin and Principal Viola of the Detmold Chamber Orchestra in Detmold, Germany. Mehmet Ali has toured Germany, Greece, Thailand, and Turkey with the Lukas David Ensemble, and China with Ensemble Vinorosso, a Balkan music ensemble based in Germany. He has given performances as soloist with the Ruhrstadt Orchestra in Schwerte, Germany, and the Chamber Orchestra of the City Conservatory of the University of Dokuz Eylül in Izmir, Turkey. Mehmet Alis primary instrument was the mandolin, but he eventually began playing violin and viola. He has earned degrees at the conservatories of Izmir, Detmold, and Düsseldorf under the guidance of Arif Manafli, Lukas David, Eckhard Fischer, Diemut Poppen, Corinne Contardo, Niklas Schwarz, and Jürgen Kussmaul. His chamber music mentors include the Auryn Quartet, Ulrike- Anima Mathé, András Schiff, and Eberhard Feltz. Mehmet Ali is a dedicated viola and violin teacher, and maintains a private studio. He is also a visual artist and enjoys collaborating in multi-disciplinary settings at Theater Augsburg events (Quick & Dirty, Tag der offenen Tür), as a member of Blue Macaw and The Folk Orchestra, and with record producer Girisha Fernando. Favourite Color:Purple |