From an Istanbul metro platform to a modern maqam jazz record, oud artist Ersin Ersavaş turns centuries of Turkish tradition into a living, contemporary sound.
Ersin Ersavaş is an Istanbul-based oud artist, composer, arranger and producer whose work brings the sound of the oud into contemporary musical settings. A graduate of the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory, where he trained through middle school, high school and university, he has spent over two decades developing a musical language rooted in Turkish and Middle Eastern tradition while drawing on jazz, electronic, ambient and global sounds. He is the founder of Maidens Tower Records and Maqam Records, and has built an extensive catalogue that spans solo instrumental interpretations of Ottoman classical repertoire, ensemble projects such as Localuna, and cross-cultural collaborations including Saray Sesleri (Palace Sounds) with kanun player Fatih Erdaş. His forthcoming record, Istanbul Maqam Jazz II, lands on 14 September 2026 and continues his exploration of maqam music through a jazz lens. Ersin Ersavaş is now working with MN2S Label Services, bringing his catalogue to a wider international audience through our distribution network.
How did you get into music? What is your musical background?
My journey with the oud began at the Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory, where I studied through middle school, high school and university. The oud became my principal instrument during my conservatory years, and my relationship with it developed through many years of formal training in Turkish classical music, maqam, repertoire and performance.
From a young age, I was also listening to very different musical worlds. In jazz, I was drawn to artists such as Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong, while in Turkish classical music I was deeply influenced by masters such as Tanburi Cemil Bey and Bekir Sıtkı Sezgin. Over the years, I began to discover the connections and shared musical language between tonal and maqam-based music. That exploration gradually became an important part of my own musical identity and led me to bring the oud and Turkish musical tradition into dialogue with jazz, electronic and cinematic sounds.
Tell us about your first release and what was special about that one.
My first solo album was Morning, released as part of the Relaxation Music with Turkish Instruments series. The concept was to perform pieces from the Turkish classical music repertoire instrumentally, using only the oud and without being bound to a metronome. This gave me the freedom to approach the music through the natural flow, phrasing and expression of the oud.
My first album as part of a group was Deliay, which I recorded with my band Localuna. It was an ethnic music project built around oud, qanun, classical kemençe, bass guitar and percussion. The album was particularly important to me as a composer, as I wrote seven of its nine pieces. It was one of my first opportunities to present my own musical language through original compositions and an ensemble that brought traditional instruments together with a more contemporary approach. My full recording history, including this one, is catalogued on Discogs.
Tell us about the latest project you worked on.
My latest project is Istanbul Maqam Jazz II, which will be released on 14 September 2026. The album continues my exploration of the relationship between Turkish maqam music and jazz, bringing traditional repertoire and the sound of the oud into a contemporary jazz setting. I am particularly interested in exploring how the melodic language and improvisational character of Turkish maqam music can interact naturally with jazz while preserving its own identity.
Could you describe your musical style and creative vision?
My sound bridges heritage and innovation. I work with Turkish maqam scales and traditional instrumentation, but I put them through a modern lens, whether that is jazz, cinematic sound design or electronic texture. The goal is always to make something that feels rooted in tradition but still feels current, and my custom fourteen string, eight course oud is part of that same instinct to push the instrument somewhere new. Teaching is part of this vision too. I co-authored the oud method book Temel Ud Eğitimi (Basic Oud Training) in 2005, and in 2024 I independently wrote and published Başlangıç Seviye Ud Metodu (Beginner-Level Oud Method), a 126-page method book for students starting out on the instrument.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of entering the music industry?
My advice to anyone starting out in the music industry would be to focus on developing an original artistic identity. Technique and knowledge are important, but ultimately what distinguishes an artist is having a musical voice of their own. Listen to different kinds of music, learn from the masters, but do not simply imitate them. Take those influences and gradually discover what is uniquely yours. Trends will always change, but a strong artistic identity can stay with you throughout your career.
What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?
For the rest of the year, I have several projects in development. One of them is the second instalment of my Karagöz and Hacivat music project, inspired by traditional Turkish shadow theatre and its musical world. On the performance side, I am also looking forward to new opportunities through my collaboration with Scarlett Entertainment, bringing my oud performances and musical projects to international audiences.
What have you enjoyed about working with MN2S Label Services?
What I have enjoyed most about working with MN2S is the combination of professional communication, genuine attention to the artist, and an international perspective. I feel that there is a real interest in understanding who I am as an artist and how my music can reach a wider global audience.
For a taste of Ersin Ersavaş performing live, watch the Ersavaş Ensemble perform Çeçen Kızı by Tanburi Cemil Bey.