Hello everyone!

After studying in sciences deapertment at the high-school, I eagerly began my musical journey at the conservatory in Istanbul, followed by Erasmus experiences in Saarbrücken and Graz. After nine years of study, sorrow, adventure and patience, I proudly completed my bachelor’s degree at Folkwang University. Now, I continue to study the master’s degree with Opera Major at HMT Leipzig, preparing myself for the professional stage.

Alongside music, I am passionate about history, social engagement, and volunteer work, believing in solidarity and collective action. On a personal level, I enjoy swimming, history, video games, asking questions and dedicate myself to becoming the best version of myself—through physical training, healthy nutrition, positive affirmations, and meditation.

Open-minded, curious, easy-going and committed, I strive to grow with the experiences I gain on Couchsurfing, both as an distinguished artist and as a humble and caring human being.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

For meeting sincere people and listening to their stories. I believe in learning from and sharing knowledge, experience, and inspiration—just as humans have done for tens of thousands of years.

On Couchsurfing, I hope to lift the blinders and experience the small coincidences that can change everything.

Interests

• arts
• books
• theater
• folklore
• documentaries
• acting
• human rights
• running
• clothing
• politics
• cartoons
• video games
• music
• karaoke
• opera
• sports
• swimming
• historic sites
• food
• cinema
• theatre
• activism
• museums
• driving
• voice acting
• contemporary dance
• healthy lifestyle
• thinking
• foreign languages
• foreign cultures
• world history
• musicals
• independent cinema
• world peace
• broadway
• solidarity
• opera singing
• art house movies
• causality
• lied singing

Music, Movies, and Books

I enjoy a wide range of music. I’m drawn to Latin, ethnic, and world music, including artists like Buena Vista Social Club, Cesária Évora, Mercedes Sosa, Lila Downs, and Erkan Oğur. My favorite jazz, classic pop, and crooner artists include Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Mary Lou Williams, Marlene Dietrich, Tom Jones, Al Bowlly, Tony Bennett, and Lady Gaga. I also love socially conscious and traditional folk music, with favorites such as Cem Karaca, Cengiz Özkan, Zülfü Livaneli, Neşet Ertaş, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez.

I love listening to Baroque music in the morning, as well as Renaissance English music, especially Purcell and Dowland. Operas by Wagner, Richard Strauss, Verdi, and Puccini are impressive, and I especially adore Verdi’s Rigoletto—its dramatic, intricately woven plot and intense atmosphere completely captivate me.

The best way to find a movie or game to enjoy is by its soundtrack—never fails. I never hesitate to watch films scored by Ennio Morricone, Michel Legrand, or to play games with music by Jesper Kyd.

I love all films of Charlie Chaplin. I enjoy animated films like Finding Nemo, Robots, and The Polar Express, and I’m a fan of Tim Burton’s unique style. My taste leans strongly toward art-house and festival films, such as Yol, Sürü, İçimdeki Yangın, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, and works by Michael Haneke, Onur Ünlü, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi and Zhang Yimou.

I always enjoy reading inspiring books by Jules Verne, as well as classics by Tolstoy, Hugo, and Dostoyevski. I also love plays by Shakespeare, ancient Greek playwrights, and social-realists like Chekhov and Brecht. Poetry brings me great joy too—works by Nazım Hikmet and Gülten Akın (in my mother tongue), as well as Müller, Heine, and Khayyam.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

• A bimonthly solo journey across Europe in search of better educational opportunities, where I met many kind and helpful people and experienced countless adventures—even managing for a month without my lost suitcase.
• Visiting Disneyland in Paris, which was my childhood dream, and an incredibly emotional experience for me.
• An Erasmus semester in Graz, Austria, full of crazy moments—including shouting from the castle onto the whole city at night and drinking countless beers.
• Singing an aria at the ancient theater of Ephesus in Turkey—an unforgettable and magical moment.
• Hitchhiking across Western Turkey, meeting many different people and discovering new perspectives along the way.

Teach, Learn, Share

Can hopefully teach the basics of music theory, fundamental singing techniques, a bit of playing the piano, and my mother tongue Turkish—which I can teach well. I can also show you healthier breathing techniques, like diaphragmatic breathing, and a bit of hands-on experience with massage and body awareness techniques that I learned at the conservatory. I am currently learning Italian, so I would appreciate some practice with speaking and vocabulary.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Long conversations about history, philosophy, psychology, and music—maybe with a drink and some travel stories. I love sharing book, film, or music recommendations, as well as my sincere feelings. I hope to spark interest in opera or classical music, and sometimes I share my thoughts, worries, or little deliriums about life and the future.

I offer my experiences and reflections on any topic I know about—as a late starter to music, an emotional person, a reliable friend, or simply as a human being living on this earth.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Germany, Turkey