BÜŞRA KAYIKÇI
about
Büşra Kayıkçı
Born and raised in Istanbul, the composer and pianist Büşra Kayıkçı has an artistic foundation deeply rooted in a diverse range of disciplines. While devoted to piano since the age of nine, she also pursued ballet and attended art school on the weekends, fostering a multifaceted creative sensibility. Her academic background in interior architecture and environmental design at university further informs her unique approach to music, where structure and fluidity intertwine.
As an interdisciplinary artist, Büşra Kayıkçı seeks to forge a unique voice at the intersection of music, space, and visuals. Since her debut recording, 'Eskizler' (2019), she has consistently sought to expand her sonic palette, further developing her sound in the album 'Places' (2024) and most recently in the EP project 'Weaving' (2025).
‘Weaving’ is a deeply personal and conceptual album inspired by the ancient weaving traditions of Anatolia, where she has familial roots. Through this music, she draws a parallel between traditional looms and her upright piano, both instruments of grand silhouettes and complex inner workings, to explore storytelling through both music and physical craft.
“In Anatolia, weaving was never just a craft—it was a form of expression,” she says. “Women wove their life stories into each pattern, thread by thread, embedding their joys, sorrows, hopes, and dreams into intricate designs. Perhaps they couldn’t always speak their emotions, but they could weave them into something lasting. I believe composing music has the same effect on me. Even though our art forms are different, we are engaging in the same act—translating our inner worlds into something tangible.”
Each track in this album is centered around a symbolic motif often found in the designs of Anatolian carpets—from a dragon, symbolizing power or perhaps one’s enemy, to a bird representing news, love, or happiness. More than mere decorations, these symbols carry deep cultural and emotional significance and speak a language of their own, communicating emotions that words themselves cannot always convey.
To further evoke the essence of this tradition within a modern soundscape, Büşra Kayıkçı has blended her intricate piano melodies with sounds from real looms: the album’s introduction is built upon recordings from a workshop that capture the authentic, rhythmic pulse of the craft itself, synchronised with her own hands at the keys.
“I don’t know if this is just a recording project or something deeper—perhaps an attempt to find my own thread within this long tradition,” she reflects. “But I do know that, just like those carpets, it holds something personal, something unsaid, something waiting to be woven into sound.”
Büşra Kayıkçı has presented her music on prestigious international stages, including Berlin’s Funkhaus, Klavierfestival Ruhr, Tokyo's Piano Era festival, and an ARTE Concert “Piano Day” in France. Additionally, she has collaborated with the video platform La Blogothèque and the New York Theatre Ballet with Melissa Toogood. Notably, a rework of her composition “The Middle of Nowhere” by Nicolas Jaar featured in Givenchy’s Paris Fashion Week 2025 show; “Qarib” was included in Nils Frahm’s LEITER Verlag Piano Day compilation; and she specially wrote the piece “Kuledibi No. 1” for a collaboration with an Istanbul fashion brand, in a celebration of cultural diversity. Büşra Kayıkçı continues to explore new creative territories, connecting with audiences worldwide.
“In a way, as a composer, I design a place, and the audience walks around in it and moves within its architecture. I believe that, when listening to a song, we travel from space to space, and from time to time. When a melody touches you deeply, you can experience a place with your mind and your soul.”