Açelya Ülgenay

Açelya Ülgenay graduated with highest honors from Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, specializing in Piano and Composition & Orchestral Conducting. Throughout her education, she studied with esteemed musicians such as Nuran Taşpınar, Ertuğ Korkmaz, İlhan Baran, and Muammer Sun, developing expertise in piano performance, composition, harmony, contemporary music, and orchestration. Additionally, she attended masterclasses with internationally renowned artists, including Fazıl Say, Özgür Aydın, Alain Defaule, and Prof. Reinhard Febel, further refining her skills in piano and composition techniques.

Between 2007 and 2009, she completed the Junior Music Course (JMC) program at Hamburg Yamaha Music Academy, earning a teaching diploma in music education. She also contributed to the translation and adaptation of Yamaha’s educational books for the Turkish music education system. From 2010 to 2012, she studied in the piano masterclass of Prof. Bianca Bodalia at Munich Conservatory, during which she performed in numerous recitals across Germany and other European countries. In 2018, she pursued a Master’s degree in Psychology at Arel University, focusing her thesis research on “The Effect of Parents’ Levels of Perfectionism on the Responsibility Behaviors of Preschool Children.”

In 2007, she founded Müzist Art Center, an institution recognized for its innovative teaching methodologies and international diploma programs. The center collaborates with prestigious institutions such as London Trinity Guildhall and London Rock School, providing internationally accredited music education. She is also the founder of “Give Voice with Music / Müzik ile Ses Ver,” a social responsibility project that has provided musical instruments to 162 government schools to date. The project was awarded the “Corporate Social Responsibility Award” in the field of education by JCI – Junior Chamber International (Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Association) within the “ICSR – Corporate Social Responsibility Competition.” In this context, the “Give Voice with Music” project contributes to the United Nations’ 4th Sustainable Development Goal: Quality Education.

Since 2016, she has served as a jury member in the competition “The International Piano Lovers Over 40” in Milan, Italy.

She continues to develop artistic projects within the Müzist Culture, Art, and Education Association, aiming to integrate music with society while furthering her expertise in psychology.