Şirin Pancaroğlu

For Şirin Pancaroğlu, discovering a variety of musical identities for the harp is a central endeavor. Trained as a classical harpist at the Geneva Conservatory and Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music, she is equally active in the realm of traditional Turkish music as she is in the mainstream harp repertoire. With concerts in over twenty countries, twelve album recordings and a multitude of collaborations to her credit, she has been sharing her musical roots with audiences, connecting the traditional to worldly ideas. Şirin’s work on unearthing the historical Turco-Ottoman harp called the “çeng” has earned her a unique place in harp history, leading her to become closely acquainted with Turkish music. First transcribing and arranging from the traditional Turkish music repertoire, she later started composing music for harp with ties to the tradition and beyond. Şirin is the creator of “The Turkish Harp”, a project embodying experiences and knowledge she has accumulated since 2007 which she wishes to share with the international harp community through “The Turkish Harp Music Collection”.