Doruk Somunkiran

"Doruk Somunkiran displays an arranging talent that comes only to a few very gifted musicians. Doruk’s style of arranging is one of the most original that I have seen, in that, although he uses conventional skills with much authority, he still manages to employ some distinct ‘home-grown’ inner balance of harmony that can only come from a special sense of tonal awareness which I would describe as ‘God-given’ (Gil Evans comes to mind here)…. Musical compositions by Doruk Somunkiran, when listened to, will evoke images of various scenarios or pictures in the mind of the listener and this fact compels me to suggest that he will be a marvelous composer for film if he is ever asked to do film writing…. I am honored to present to you Mr. Doruk Somunkiran."

RICHARD EVANS (recipient of Grammy, Clio and Golden Reel awards; producer and arranger for Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson, Ramsey Lewis, Noel Pointer, Ahmad Jamal, Eddie Harris, Tower of Power, Buddy Rich, Sonny Stitt and others)

"Somunkiran is a tremendous talent. He’s equally adroit at guitar and keyboard, but it’s in composition and arranging that he truly shines. On his Web site (somunkiran.com), you can listen to a track like “Strange Company,” a moody meditation that incorporates modal jazz, electronic loops, snatches of robotic rhymes, and atmospheric effects. Or a gorgeous symphonic piece like Bosphorus, performed by the Berklee Performance Orchestra, which, as its title would suggest, takes cues from both Eastern and Western musical idioms. All mournful, minor-key woodwinds, sweeping-swooning strings, and dizzying harp and xylophone, it evokes the portentous chill of a rainy, windswept night, and could easily be the soundtrack to some noir thriller set in Eastern Europe."

MIKE MILIARD, The Boston Phoenix

"(Doruk Somunkiran’s) knowledge of music technology and relative processes is always impressive to me. His production style, confidence in the studio and communication skills are excellent…. In combination with his musical abilities as a writer and arranger, Doruk is able to produce excellent recordings in many genres of commercial music."

MICHAEL FARQUHARSON (MCA recording artist with three solo albums; recipient of two Canada Council Arts Awards and one Ontario Arts Council Award)

"Doruk Somunkiran has a remarkable understanding of the various elements that comprise the field of music writing, and is equally adept at using the synthesizer as well as orchestrating for different combinations of acoustic elements…. His dedication to music is matched by a talent that is obvious."

DENNIS GRILLO (performer, arranger, studio musician and/or conductor for Stan Kenton, Charlie Barnet, Buddy Rich, Freddy Martin, Judy Garland, Carol Burnett, Anne Marie Moss, Barbara Mc Nair, The Four Freshmen, Connie Stevens)

"(Doruk Somunkiran’s) work is of the highest caliber. In fact, I plan to use the music he wrote as examples for my future classes to show them what I consider to be outstanding work."

ROBERT DOEZEMA (Professor at Berklee College of Music, performances with Noel Redding, Greg Bissonette, William Kennedy, Toy Caldwell, Neil Stubenhaus, Steve Smith and Tiger Okoshi)

biography

Doruk (pronounced “dough-ROOK”) is a composer who blends the music and sounds of different cultures to synthesize original soundscapes. Born in Ankara, the city that presumably gave its name to the word anchor, he grew up absorbing the musical influences of several different cultures (from the Middle East, Balkans, Europe and America). In search of a stronger foundation for his musical pursuit, he applied to, and received a scholarship from, Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, where he studied Contemporary Writing and Production. He graduated from Berklee, magna cum laude, in 2000. Although he defines himself as a musician first, Doruk has had a very colorful career path, working as a diplomat, dishwasher, software developer and teacher (in that order) to name a few. Currently based in Istanbul, Doruk is composing music for movie soundtracks and working on sound design for TV shows.

contact

Doruk Somunkiran can be contacted by using the form below.