Featured performance
Bugu
An original composition and music video bringing the deer motif of Turkic and Central Asian cultures into the voice of the bağlama.
Watch the music videoBağlama performer · Composer · Academic
MücahitKol
Rooted in heritage. Resonating forward.
A musical vision carrying Anatolia’s time-honoured traditions forward through the bağlama, composition, research and the voice of today.
Selected locations
AnkaraUlaanbaatarPrizrenCologneSkopjeBogotáAnevRome
01 · About
Anatolian roots, a voice of today.
Original performances, compositions and new interpretations shaped by Anatolia’s time-honoured musical heritage.
Born in Istanbul in 1996 and originally from Sürmene, Trabzon, he completed his undergraduate studies in Turkish Music at Istanbul Medipol University. He earned his master’s degree in Instrument Education at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University with a thesis examining the stylistic characteristics of Talip Özkan’s saz performance.
He studied plectrum and hand-playing techniques with master performers Erol Parlak and Sinan Ayyıldız. He taught saz, tanbur and folk music repertoire at Istanbul Medipol University, and saz at Ankara Music and Fine Arts University. In 2021, he was appointed Research Assistant at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Ankara Music and Fine Arts University. He currently serves in the Turkish Folk Music Instrument Education Division within the Department of Turkish Folk Music, while continuing his Proficiency in Art studies.
- Performance
- Plectrum and hand-playing techniques for the bağlama
- Composition
- Original works shaped by time-honoured traditions
- Research
- Performance styles and traditional music transmission
- Education
- Saz, tanbur and folk music repertoire
02 · Music
Ancient roots, new narratives.
Solo compositions, cross-cultural collaborations and ensemble work offering a fresh reading of traditional repertoire.
New single / Ararım
New single
Ararım
In search of a beloved, a guide, a homeland and freedom…
“Ararım” is my attempt to set Mahtumkulu Firaki’s poem “Gözlär men” to music. I prepared it for the official closing ceremony of Anev 2024, Cultural Capital of the Turkic World, where I represented Türkiye and performed the piece in Turkmenistan. Through the bağlama, I sought to express the poem’s longing, love of homeland and search for freedom. I hope it helps more listeners—especially young people in Türkiye—discover Mahtumkulu’s poetry.
“Yurdum Etrek, ilim Göklen, / Ben bir seven yâr ararım…”
Warm thanks to TÜRKSOY for making this meeting possible and to the people of Turkmenistan for their generous welcome. My gratitude to Eren Tatlı for his voice and interpretation, Seyfullah Özbayrak for the ney, and Ege Eryılmaz for mastering.
Words: Mahtumkulu Firaki · Composition: Mücahit Kol · Vocals: Eren Tatlı (@erntatli) · Ney: Seyfullah Özbayrak (@seyfullah.ozbayrak) · Mastering: Ege Eryılmaz (@egeeryilmazzz)
Liquorice
2020Single · with Fatemeh Dehghani
His first composition, released with Iranian oud performer Fatemeh Dehghani.
Fernweh
2021Single
A composition inspired by the German word for longing for places one cannot reach.
Yörük Sezisi
2022Single
Inspired by the Yörük people’s bond with nature and their powerful sense of intuition.
Bugu
2022Single
A musical reflection on the mythological meanings of the deer across Turkic and Central Asian cultures.
İnsan-ı Kâmil
2024Single
A setting inspired by Niyâzî-i Mısrî’s poem of the same name.
Bahar
2024Album · Bir Nev-i Trio
A six-track Bir Nev-i Trio album drawing together melodies from Turkish music.
More releases
- 2022The Waterfall Flowing From Your Hair
- 2022Kitabe-i Seng-i Mezar
- 2023Gri
- 2023Bürküt
- 2024Safran
Ensemble project
Bir Nev-i Trio · Bahar
Bringing together Mücahit Kol, Bahattin Acar and Ali Yılmaz, Bir Nev-i Trio offers new interpretations of works from different periods of Turkish music through the distinctive timbres of the bağlama, classical kemençe and tanbur. Released in 2024, Bahar comprises six tracks.
Open the album on YouTube
- 01Çaya İndim Taşı Yok
- 02Halkalı Şeker / Eşşeği Saldım Çayıra
- 03Kırkpınar Marşı
- 04Yeni Halime Kantosu
- 05Gel Gel Yanalım
- 06Misket
03 · Stage and Workshops
From Anatolia to stages across the world.
Selected concerts, intercultural encounters and workshops focused on hand-playing techniques for the bağlama.
Ulaanbaatar · Mongolia
Girift Quartet concerts and a Turkish folk instruments workshop
Prizren · Kosovo
21st International Art Awakening Festival and a Şelpe workshop
Cologne · Germany
Performance at DITIB MOSQfest
Skopje · North Macedonia
Erasmus+ bağlama presentation and concert
Bogotá · Colombia
Four events marking the Republic of Türkiye’s centenary and UNESCO’s Year of Âşık Veysel
Anev 2024: Official Closing Ceremony of the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World
At the concert hosted by TURKSOY and the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, he represented Türkiye and performed Ararım (Gözler Men), his setting of words by Magtymguly Pyragy.
Ankara · Türkiye
Closing Ceremony of the Turkish–Hungarian Cultural Year
Rome · Italy
A month-long Erasmus+ doctoral internship at the Rome Yunus Emre Institute, including an Institute-hosted concert for Turkish and Italian audiences.
Open the concert and event archive
DateEventLocation
25 Jan 2022
Music Workshop with Erol Parlak
Istanbul
3 Feb 2022
The Waterfall Flowing From Your Hair · Single
Iran
30 Mar 2022
Âşık Veysel Memorial Event
Ankara
8 Apr 2022
Folk Music Masters in Ulaanbaatar · Concert
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
8 Apr 2022
Turkish Folk Music Instruments Workshop
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
9 Apr 2022
Folk Music Masters in Ulaanbaatar · Concert
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
31 May 2022
Girift Quartet Concert
Ankara
2 Jun 2022
Adaptations in Saz Performance
Ankara
3 Jun 2022
MGU Folk Instruments Orchestra and Choir
Ankara
2 Jul 2022
Yörük Sezisi · Single
Ankara
21 Sep 2022
Kitabe-i Seng-i Mezar · Single
Ankara
30 Sep 2022
Bugu · Single
Ankara
14 Jan 2023
Library Meetings
Ankara
10 May 2023
Şelpe Technique Workshop and Recital
Istanbul
9–11 Jun 2023
MOSQfestival
Cologne, Germany
24 Jun 2023
Gri · Single
Ankara
15–16 Sep 2023
21st International Art Awakening Festival
Prizren, Kosovo
16–17 Sep 2023
Bağlama Techniques: Hand Playing · Şelpe
Prizren, Kosovo
18 Oct 2023
Bağlama Presentation and Performance
Skopje, North Macedonia
26 Oct 2023
44th Anniversary of the Andean Parliament
Bogotá, Colombia
27 Oct 2023
UNESCO Âşık Veysel Memorial Event
Bogotá, Colombia
29 Oct 2023
Centenary Reception for the Republic of Türkiye
Bogotá, Colombia
30 Oct 2023
Türkiye and Its Region in the Republic’s 100th Year Symposium
Bogotá, Colombia
25 Dec 2023
Bürküt · Single
Ankara
8 Jan 2024
Our Story
Ankara
5 May 2024
İnsan-ı Kâmil · Single
Ankara
23 May 2024
Adaptations in Saz Performance · Recital
Ankara
3 Jun 2024
4th Turkish Music Days
Ankara
10 Jun 2024
Witnesses of the Republic Through Documents II
Ankara
13 Jun 2024
Bahar · Bir Nev-i Trio
Ankara
20 Oct 2024
Safran · Single
Ankara
16 Nov 2024
Anev 2024: Official Closing Ceremony of the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World
Anev, Turkmenistan
12 Dec 2024
Closing Ceremony of the Turkish–Hungarian Cultural Year
Ankara
2026
Erasmus+ Doctoral Internship and Concert
Rome, Italy
04 · Academic
Understanding the past, interpreting the present.
Bağlama styles, performance techniques and the transmission of traditional music sit at the meeting point of his artistic and academic practice.
Education and appointments
BA · Turkish Music
Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture
Lecturer
Istanbul Medipol University · Saz, tanbur and folk music repertoire
Lecturer
Ankara Music and Fine Arts University · Saz instruction
MA · Instrument Education
Ankara Music and Fine Arts University
Research Assistant
Faculty of Music and Performing Arts / Department of Turkish Folk Music
Proficiency in Art · Instrument Education
Ankara Music and Fine Arts University
Publications
After the Rain: Talip Özkan
Book · Kitapol Publications · Istanbul
Nida Tüfekçi
With Sinan Ayyıldız · Faces of Our Music in the 100th Year of the Republic, pp. 459–475 · Atatürk Cultural Center Presidency Publication
Press · Selected Coverage
Mücahit Kol in the Press
Selected national and international coverage of Mücahit Kol’s concerts, festivals, academic work, artistic production and projects.
“Ararım” in the International Press: From Magtymguly Pyragy’s Poem to Music
“Ararım”, Mücahit Kol’s setting of Magtymguly Pyragy’s poem “Gözlär men”, was covered in several languages across the Turkmen and Central Asian press. The reports introduced Kol as a Turkish musician, composer and researcher, and noted that the work was first performed at the official closing ceremony of Anev 2024, Cultural Capital of the Turkic World.
Sources
“Bir Tel, Bir Ses, Bir Nefes” Concert in Rome
At the Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Centre in Rome, Rüveyda Sultan Kol, Mücahit Kol and Seyfullah Özbayrak brought works from Turkish folk and classical music to Italian audiences. The concert concluded with two encores.
Artist in the Cast of the Symphonic Stage Work “Mihenk”
Mücahit Kol joined the cast of “Mihenk”, a symphonic stage work prepared to mark the 106th anniversary of Atatürk’s arrival in Ankara.
Sources
View all press stories+12+
A Tokat Folk Song Reaches a Wide Audience Through a Şelpe Interpretation
Mücahit Kol’s şelpe performance of “Tokat’tan mı Geliyon / Yar Sen Almuslu musun” attracted broad attention on social media. Local press in Tokat reported that the video had reached one million views at the time of publication.
Sources
Official Closing Ceremony of Anev 2024, Cultural Capital of the Turkic World
Mücahit Kol performed among the artists representing Türkiye at the official closing ceremony of Anev 2024, Cultural Capital of the Turkic World. “Ararım”, his setting of a poem by Magtymguly Pyragy, was also presented as part of the programme.
Sources
“Bahar” by Bir Nev-i Trio
“Bahar”, by Bir Nev-i Trio—Mücahit Kol, Mehmet Bahattin Acar and Ali Yılmaz—was released on digital music platforms. The ensemble brings the bağlama, classical kemençe and tanbur together in a distinctive trio setting.
Sources
Turkish Music at the Republic of Türkiye Centenary Reception in Colombia
At the Republic of Türkiye centenary reception held at Bogotá’s historic Chico Museum, Mücahit Kol performed traditional Turkish music on the bağlama.
Sources
Bağlama Performance at Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mücahit Kol performed the bağlama at the historic San Carlos Palace during a programme marking the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye and 500 years of Turkish diplomatic tradition. The Ministry’s official Spanish-language report introduced him as “maestro Mucahit Kol”.
“Türkiye and Its Region in the Republic’s Centenary” in Bogotá
During the “Türkiye and Its Region in the Republic’s Centenary” programme at Santo Tomás University in Bogotá, Mücahit Kol presented examples from traditional Turkish music on the bağlama.
Sources
Girift Quartet at the Art Awakening Festival in Prizren
Girift Quartet, featuring Mücahit Kol, performed at the 21st International Art Awakening Festival in Prizren. The programme also included a workshop on Anatolian bağlama performance traditions and techniques.
Sources
Mücahit Kol at Cologne’s MOSQfestival
Mücahit Kol appeared at MOSQfestival in Cologne with a series of bağlama/saz performances. The festival’s official programme scheduled five separate performance slots for Kol across three days.
“Sarı Zeybek” Project for 19 May
The “Sarı Zeybek” project, prepared with 35 students for the 19 May Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, was coordinated by Salih Gündoğdu, Eren Can Yıldız and Mücahit Kol. The project received coverage across national media.
Sources
Turkish Folk Music Concerts in Ulaanbaatar with Girift Quartet
Girift Quartet, featuring Mücahit Kol, presented Turkish folk music concerts and cultural events at Ulaanbaatar Theatre. Performed together with the Khangardi Traditional Instruments Orchestra, the concerts received coverage from MNB and numerous local media outlets. Mongolian press rendered Mücahit Kol’s name as “Мүжахит Кол”.
“Reading Canı Cananı Through Folk Songs” Concert
Mücahit Kol performed the saz in the “Canı Cananı Türkülerle Okuyoruz” concert held at the Orhan Kemal Provincial Public Library under the Istanbul Directorate of Culture and Tourism.
Sources
28th Anniversary of the Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation
At the Foundation’s 28th anniversary event in Balat, Istanbul, Mücahit Kol took part in a musical programme featuring works by Neveser Kökdeş. The event was also covered by national media.
05 · Gallery
From roots to the stage.
M · K / Selected photography
06 · Contact
For concerts, festivals, workshops and collaborations.
For concert invitations in Türkiye and abroad, festivals, artistic collaborations, workshops and academic projects, please get in touch.
Send an emailAnkara · Türkiye