Accepting commissions for Valentines Day 2021. Get in touch!
Hakan A. Toker was born in 1976, Mersin, Turkey. After studying music in two different conservatories in Turkey (IUDK and Bilkent), he completed his studies in the USA at Indiana University School of Music, double majoring in piano and composition (BM 2000). Along his formal education, he taught himself to improvise in many different styles and to play other instruments such as the kanun.
While living in the USA (1997-2006) he worked with world music bands Salaam, Silk Road, Orquesta Son; recording, concertizing and teaching with them. He also continued his solo activities playing improvised recitals, music for silent films and taking part in many more unique projects.
In 2006 he went back to his homeland and became a founding member of new bands Tanini, Abra and Toker Trio; again, concertizing, recording and teaching workshops with them.
In 2013 he was given “Our Living Values” award by the 1st. Mersin Cultural Festival committee.
He won the Global Music Awards Silver Medal (USA) with three different albums:
2017, “Vivaldi - 4 Seasons for 3 Pianos” (Parma Recordings) with Matej Meštrović and Matija Dedić
2019 "Toker Messing Around" (Parma Recordings)
2020 "Taurus Mountains" (Pb Music) - also included in the "Jazz Albums of the Year" list of Açık Radyo, Turkey.
Toker has been well acclaimed for his work in the fields of world music and classical improvisation –the latter being an endangered tradition, kept alive by very few recitalists today. His albums “Turkish Music on Piano” (2005), “Alla Turca Alla Toker” (2012, MCC) testifies for his accomplishments in the former, while “Transformations” (2003, New World) and “Toker Messing Around” testifies for the latter. He is also an outstanding master of fusion. “Şehir Hayatı/City Life” (2018, YeniKapı. Included in the "Jazz from Turkey 2010's" list on Spotify) and “Taurus Mountains” are his albums demonstrating his ability to mix the East and West, giving birth to his unique voice in his original compositions and improvisations.
As a concert pianist, he has played in 28 countries, including international festivals such as the Istanbul, Ankara, Mersin (Turkey), Lvov (Ukraine) and Indianapolis Jazz (USA) festivals.
As a composer, he writes and arranges in many styles including Western classical, jazz, Turkish and electronic music for all kinds of media ranging from solo instruments to symphonic orchestras and marching bands. He particularly enjoys the challenge of composing or improvising on numbers - such as phone numbers, birthdates, anniversaries, postal codes etc- given by his audience. He accepts commissions to compose such pieces to be given as birthday or anniversary gifts etc.
