mehmet ali simayli
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Mehmet Ali Şimayli (Istanbul, Türkiye) is an individual who works in the intersectional fields of composition, performance, and research. He studied music at Istanbul Bilgi University before moving to Basel, Switzerland, in 2021. In Basel, he pursued a second bachelor’s degree in performance at Basel Musik Akademie, graduating with cum laude in 2024. He is currently continuing his academic journey with a master’s degree in composition, focusing on instrumental, electronic, and conceptual works, as well as researching sound, perception, and narrative.
Mehmet’s work spans music making, researching, and performing in both interpretational and experimental contexts. He has founded bands such as Portrait and a Dream and The Dose Makes the Poison, and his albums have received acclaim from top critics, appearing in notable lists like Bandcamp Daily. Actively involved in major festivals and diverse occasions across the European and Turkish music scenes, he continues to develop both individual and collaborative projects.
As a composer and performer, Mehmet explores themes such as space, alienation, aleatory, interaction design, post-narrative forms, and power structures. His solo work engages with feedback, timbre, and improvisation, moving fluidly between micro-sound and harsh noise, while his compositional work experiments with bold and non-traditional, rootless approaches to complexity, electro-acoustic settings, open structures, and game-like frameworks.
Mehmet’s practice integrates music history, aesthetics, and concepts with innovative approaches. He is currently launching Rubber Commune, a record label aimed at bringing together artists from creative musical fields. Through his multifaceted work, he has collaborated with numerous international artists from a wide range of genres and disciplines, gaining a comprehensive understanding of music making, and the intersections between creativity and craft.
Education
Istanbul Bilgi University / BA in Music, 2017-2020
FHNW Musik Akademie Basel / BA in Music Performance / Institute of Jazz, 2021-2024
FHNW Musik Akademie Basel / MA in Composition / 2024-present
Studies with Sara Glojnaric, Yaron Deutsch, Guillermo Klein, Svetlana Maras, Kris Davis on composition, electronic music and production.
Awards
Anatolian Awards in Music, Artist in Residence, Baksı Cultural Foundation, Bayburt, TR, 2022
Arif Mardin Scholarship, American Turkish Society, Berklee College of Music, Boston, US, 2016
Mehmet Ali Şimayli endorses Istanbul Agop Cymbals.
Mehmet Ali Simayli has played over 300 concerts as a leader or collaborator with different artists, bands and projects in many cities around Turkey and Europe.
Selected Festivals: Athens Jazz Festival, Moods Zürich, Bird’s Eye Basel, La Boule Noir Paris, arkaoda Berlin, arkoada Istanbul, Urla Jazz Festival, Foça Jazz Festival, Worm Rotterdam, IKSV Jazz Festival, Akbank Jazz Festival, Izmir Jazz Festival, ARTER, Sonic Blast (PT), La Mar De Musica (ES), Badentreffel (DE), Paleo Festival (CH), etc..