Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol (Project Director/Curator):

Grammy nominated composer and CMES Harvard University fellow (2013-15) Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol is a Jazz pianist, a multi-instrumentalist, a singer, an ethnomusicologist as well as a full-time faculty member at the New England Conservatory. Sanlıkol is also the director of New England Conservatory’s Intercultural Institute, the project director of Nilüfer Municipality Dr. Hüseyin Parkan Sanlıkol Musical Instruments Museum, and the president of DÜNYA, a non-profit organization dedicated to contemporary presentations of Turkish traditions through musical performance, publication, and educational activities.

Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol is an active scholar publishing articles and reading papers at conferences. His book, entitled The Musician Mehters, about the organization and the music of the Ottoman Janissary Bands has been published during 2011 in English by The ISIS press and in Turkish by Yapı Kredi Yayınları. As a composer he made his Carnegie Hall debut in April 2016 premiering his commissioned piece Harabat/The Intoxicated with the American Composers Orchestra. Other recent works have been heard at Tanglewood's Ozawa Hall, Jordan Hall and on A Far Cry string orchestra's recording Dreams and Prayers. Sanlıkol's first jazz orchestra album was JAZZIZ magazine's Top 10 Critics’ Choice 2014 pick, his second jazz orchestra album was DownBeat magazine's September 2016 Editor's Pick, The Rise Up, commissioned by NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman, received a 4 star review from The Financial Times, and his trio album An Elegant Ritual was listed among JAZZIZ's Top 10 July 2021 albums. He has composed for, performed and toured with international stars and ensembles such as Dave Liebman, Bob Brookmeyer, Billy Cobham, Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, Tiger Okoshi, Miguel Zenon, Gil Goldstein, Esperanza Spalding, The Boston Camerata, The Boston Cello Quartet, A Far Cry string orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Okay Temiz and Erkan Oğur.