Turkish clarinetist Ecesu Sertesen has built a singular voice in the field, shaping a path for a new generation of musicians.
Artist Playbook caught up with the award-winning soloist and principal to explore the influences and instincts behind her work.
“When I perform, I picture a scene in my mind”
Your father and grandfather were both cinematographers. Did that shape the way you make music?
Growing up around cameras taught me to think in images, movement, light, and atmosphere. I often experience a musical phrase as a scene unfolding, with its own color and perspective.
You joined the Istanbul Opera at 21. What has being surrounded by voice taught you about the clarinet?
A phrase must breathe and carry meaning, not simply sound beautiful. Working in opera has made me approach the clarinet almost like a singer, always searching for direction, color, and emotional truth.
Fazıl Say invited you to perform his Khayyam Concerto, and you premiered Hasan Niyazi Tura’s Clarinet Concerto. What is bringing a new work to life like?
Giving a new work its first voice brings both freedom and responsibility. There is no established tradition to follow. Through dialogue with the composer, you trust your instincts and knowledge and help shape how the work will be understood at first.
How did you learn what to take from teachers and what to find within?
A great teacher doesn’t create copies of themselves. Teachers give us technique, discipline, and new ways of hearing, but a musician discovers their own voice by questioning, experimenting, and keeping what feels musically honest. We should give ourselves time to work through certain things and, as we discover ourselves, reflect on possible solutions. We should ask questions.
What has become clearer to you through the journey of your career?
Artistry is having something genuine and personal to say. Over time, I have come to understand that artistry is not about perfection. Performing keeps me alive, teaching keeps me curious, and jury work teaches me to respect individuality. Each role changes the way I listen and adds layers to me as an artist.
