Berk Yagli

About

I am a guitarist, composer, producer, and researcher from Cyprus. My music journey started at the age of 12 by forming my childhood/teenager dream band and performing more than 70 gigs including festivals, charity concerts, and competitions (in 2014 I was awarded first place in best instrument performance) until I graduated from high school.

I have been active in the UK for the last 6 years due to my education in BSc Music and Sound Technology (University of Portsmouth), MA in Composition (University of Sheffield), and currently at the University of the Arts London working under Adam Stanovic for my Ph.D. topic: FUSION: A CRITICAL AND COMPOSITIONAL INVESTIGATION OF METHODS FOR ELECTROACOUSTIC AND METAL HYBRIDISATION.

My main mission with my music is to talk about social, political, and philosophical matters interestingly to invite the listeners to reflect on the topics. I am interested in hybridizing ideas and conventions in music to create something new and exciting.

My music has been presented in the UK and internationally in dozens of festivals including Ars Electronica Festival (Linz, Austria), Espacios Sonoros (Salta, Argentina), New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (New York, US), International Computer Music Conference (Limerick, Ireland), Seoul International Computer Music Festival (Seoul, South Korea), Sound Junction (Sheffield, UK), Convergence-De Montfort (Leicester, UK), BFE/RMA Research Student’s Conference (Plymouth, UK), Research on Contemporary Composition Conference 2022 (Georgia, US), Sonic Matter Festival 2022 (Zurich, Switzerland), International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music (Krakow, Poland), WOCMAT Conference 2022 (Taipei, Taiwan), SEAMUS (New York City, US), MOXSonic Festival (Missouri, US), Earth Day Art Model Festival (Indianapolis, US), Vu Symposium (Utah, US), Unfolding Narratives (London, UK), NoiseFloor (Staffordshire, UK), Perspectivas Sonoras (Morelia, Mexico), Audiomanzia Festival (Padova, Italy), CCMC (Tokyo, Japan) and more (please see the comprehensive list below).

I have the pleasure of being invited to compose music in studios throughout the world including VICC-Visby International Centre for Composers (Visby, Sweden), CMMAS- Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras (Morelia, Mexico), Studio Kura (Fukuoka, Japan), and ACA-Atlantic Center for the Arts, residency with Missy Mazzoli (Florida, USA) as an Associate Artist.

My compositions recently won prizes in competitions including a second prize award for ‘The Cycle of Life and Decay’ at the 6th International ”New Vision” Composition Competition 2023 (New York, US), Honorary Mention award for ‘The Cycle of Life Decay’ and finalist award for ‘Ideological Distortion’ on Musica Nova International Electroacoustic Music Competition 2023 (Prague, Czech Republic), the 2022 18th WOCMAT Phil Winsor International Youth Computer Music Competition Award for ‘Ideological Distortion’ and the 2023 19th WOCMAT Phil Winsor International Youth Computer Music Competition Award for ‘The Cycle of Life and Decay (Taipei, Taiwan).

I am active in presenting/sharing my research in the form of pieces + papers at various conferences including the CEAM Conference (Moscow, Russia), IV International Festival of Contemporary Music 2023 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), ACMC-Australasian Computer Music Conference (Sydney, Australia) and more.

My writings have been published in various journals around the world including The Korean Electro-Acoustic Music Society's journal 'Emille' (Seoul, South Korea), and the Mexican Centre for Music and Sonic Arts '(CMMAS) journal 'Sonic Ideas' (Morelia, Mexico).

I regularly give lectures and workshops at different universities and institutions including Staffordshire University, The University of the Arts London, and The University of Manchester.

Being a metalhead at heart, I composed, produced, and released a cinematic/epic social commentary progressive metal album ‘Symphony of Humanity’ in 2021. I also composed, produced, and released a collaborative dual lead-guitar driven metal EP Düellett – Self Untitled in 2021.

My music has also been presented numerous times on Cypriot national televisions and radio and got awarded first in Best Music Video on the Top 5 Music Videos programme.

List of Performances, Awards, Residencies, Publications, Workshops, and Lectures

Ideological Distortion got accepted to be performed at Radical Humanities Conference (Cork, Ireland). 8th – 9th May 2024

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery got accepted to be performed at Sonorities Festival Belfast (Belfast, Northern Ireland). 11th April 2024

Piece and Paper: Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid has been selected to be presented at Sonorities Festival Belfast (Belfast, Northern Ireland) 11th April 2024

The Cycle of Life and Decay got accepted to be performed at CCMC2024 Concert (Tokyo, Japan). 23rd – 24th March 2024

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery got accepted to be performed at MOXSonic-Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts Festival (Missouri, USA). 14th March – 16th March 2024

Agreed to give a 50 minute presentation at Novars Research Centre seminar series as a visiting guest artist at the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK). 22nd February 2024

Won the 2023 19th WOCMAT Phil Winsor International Youth Computer Music Competition Award through the submission of the piece The Cycle of Life and Decay (Taipei, Taiwan). 22nd December 2023.

The Cycle of Life and Decay selected and performed at 19th International WOCMAT Conference and AI Health Concert (Taipei, Taiwan). 22nd December 2023.

Prepared and gave 3hr lectures and workshops about Electroacoustic/Acousmatic Music, and Hybrid Music to students throughout (November-February) as an Hourly-paid Lecturer at University of the Arts London –in total of 4 weeks (London, UK). 20th November 2023 – 11th December 2024

Written work: Grains of Temporality-Composing the Polystylist Hybrid, accepted to be published on the new issue of Mexican Center for Music and Sound Arts-CMMAS’ Journal: Sonic Ideas (Morelia, Mexico). 1st December 2023

Written work: Compositional Structure and Functional Analysis of -Globalalia- accepted to be published on the Emille vol.21 (Seoul, South Korea). 20th November 2023

Ideological Distortion has been selected and performed at Daegu International Computer Music Festival at Suchang Hall, Daegu Art Factory (Daegu, South Korea). 11th of November 2023

Prepared and gave 3hr lectures and workshops about Electroacoustic/Acousmatic Music, and Hybrid Music to students throughout (November-December) as a Part-Time Lecturer at Staffordshire University-every week for 4 weeks (Stoke on Trent, UK). 20th November – 11th December 2023

Ideological Distortion and The Cycle of Life and Decay have received prizes at the International Electroacoustic Music Competition: Musica Nova 2023. Ideological Distortion has received the finalist award on category A. The Cycle of Life and Decay has received the honorary mention award in Category C (Prague, Czech Republic). 18th November 2023

The Cycle of Life and Decay got its Mexican premiere at CMMAS Auditorium along with Lucas Fagin's 'Space Junk' (Morelia, Mexico). 9th November 2023

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at UbiMus23-the International Symposium and Workshop on Ubiquitous Music, at Ulster University (Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland). 2nd-4th November 2023.

Zen of Aggression selected and performed at La Hora Acusmática (Argentina). 24 November 2023.

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery has been selected and performed in the concert program of Encounters. The concert was held at Kings Pavilion of the University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, Scotland). 29th of October 2023

(Piece and Paper Presentation): Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid got presented at CEAM Conference (Moscow, Russia). 23-25 October 2023.

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery got selected and performed at ACMC-Australasian Computer Music Conference (Sydney, Australia). 9-11 October 2023

Ideological Distortion got selected and performed at ACMC-Australasian Computer Music Conference (Sydney, Australia). 9-11 October 2023

Piece and Paper Presentation: Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid has been accepted and presented at ACMC-Australasian Computer Music Conference (Sydney, Australia). 9-11 October 2023

Selected as Associate Artist at Atlantic Center for the Arts, residency with Missy Mazzoli (Florida, USA). 8-28 October 2023.

The Cycle of Life and Decay has been performed at the CIME/ICEM (International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music) section of the EM-visia 2023 concert, organized by the Ukrainian Association of Electroacoustic Music at the National Academy of the Arts of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine). 3rd October 2023

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery selected to be performed at ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) (Shenzhen, China) 15-20 October 2023.

Grains of Temporality selected to be performed at ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) (Shenzhen, China) 15-20 October 2023.

The Cycle of Life and Decay, won the second prize in the 6th International New Vision Composition Competition (New York/Seattle, US) – 24 September 2023

(Piece and Paper Presentation): Zen of Aggression: Composing the Transformational Hybrid' has been presented at the IV International Festival of Contemporary Music 2023, which was held at the Astor Piazzolla Higher Conservatory of Music (Buenos Aires, Argentina). 20th September 2023.

Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery selected and performed at Ars Electronica Festival (Linz, Austria) 9th September 2023.

Selected as composer/artist in residence at Studio Kura (Fukuoka, Japan) around the dates 1 August to 1 September 2023.

Grains of Temporality selected and performed at Vu Symposium (Park City ,Utah, USA) 5 July 2023.

Ideological Distortion selected and played at CampFR radio as a special episode of the SUBSTRATUM Radioshow, Unhomed Objects (France) 29 May 2023.

Zen of Aggression selected and performed at Audiomanzia Festival (Padova, Italy) 19 May 2023.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at NoiseFloor Festival (Staffordshire, UK) 11 May 2023.

Zen of Aggression, Grains of Temporality, and Hypnagogic Hallucination Machinery performed at Unfolding Narratives 3 (London, UK) 13 and 19 April 2023.

Zen of Aggression selected and performed at Earth Day Art Model 2023 (Indianapolis, US) 21-22 April 2023.

Grains of Temporality selected and performed at 2023 SEAMUS (The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) Conference (New York City, US) 7th April 2023.

Selected as composer in residence at Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras (CMMAS) (Morelia, Mexico) around the dates 20 March to 5 April 2023.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at Missouri Experimental Sonic Arts (MOXsonic) (Missouri, US) 16-18 March 2023.

Selected as composer in residence at Visby International Centre for Composers (VICC) (Visby, Sweden) around the dates 28 February to 12 March 2023.

Ideological Distortion selected to be performed at Electronic Music Midwest (EMM) (Kansas, US) March 2023.

Grains of Temporality performed at Sound Junction (Sheffield, UK) 10 December 2022.

Won the 2022 18th WOCMAT Phil Winsor International Youth Computer Music Competition Award through the submission of the piece Ideological Distortion, 7 December 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at 18th International WOCMAT Conference & AI Health Concert (Taipei, Taiwan) 7 December 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at Sonic Matter Festival (Zurich, Switzerland) 1-4 December 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at Research on Contemporary Composition Conference (ROCC) (Georgia, US) 29th October 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music (CIME-ICEM) 40th General Assembly (Krakow, Poland) 14 October 2022.

A Hybrid Mind selected and performed at Convergence-De Montfort (Leicester, UK) 22 September 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) (Limerick, Ireland) 8 July 2021.

Ideological Distortion got selected and performed at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival (NYCEMF) (New York City, US). 25 June 2022.

Ideological Distortion selected to be performed at RNUAL (Plymouth, UK). January 2022.

A Hybrid Mind performed at Sound Junction (Sheffield, UK). November 2021.

Ideological Distortion selected and performed at Espacios Sonoros (Salta, Argentina). September 2021.