Born in Bursa (Turkey) in 1977, Taner Akyol studied baglama, violin and piano from an early age and started working as a professional baglama player in his teens. He moved to Berlin (Germany) at the age of 19 where he studied composition with Prof. Kyburz (Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule) and -- after graduating with a diploma in 2003 -- with Prof. Zimmermann (University of Arts). He founded the intercultural ensemble Cornucopia and in 2004 became the director of the "ta Musikatelier" in Berlin. Taner Akyol was awarded several prizes (MusicaVitale, Hanns Eisler Award) as a baglama soloist and composer of chamber music. He was the first who brought the baglama to the attention of the European composers and academic scene. The baglama (also called: saz, tanbur, dombra, setar, dutar) is an oriental long-neck lute that is used in many musical traditions between the Balkan countries and Central Asia, mainly for accompanying folk songs. Its strings can be played with the fingertips or with a plectrum. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.