From cello and opera to jazz: a musician who found his instrument in the human voice.
Born in Istanbul in 1985, Ferhat Öz began his music education at Istek Belde Fine Arts School, studying cello and piano for seven years. Along the way he discovered the voice, performed opera repertoire and appeared in musicals such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and The Importance of Being Earnest.
In 2003 a scholarship took him into the vocal jazz program at Istanbul Bilgi University, where he was mentored by Turkish jazz singer Nükhet Ruacan and focused on vocal technique, improvisation and repertoire.
In 2006 he won the Young Jazz Singers Contest organized by Nardis Jazz Club, then represented Turkey at the International Jazz Singers Contest in Estonia, taking the Audience Favorite Award. That led to a recording on trumpeter Ted Curson's live concert album in Paris and a place in Curson's international band, performing across Europe and the United States.
Today Ferhat lives in Utrecht. He performs across the Netherlands and Europe, blending old-school jazz with modern grooves, and has taught singing for more than ten years, in person and online.
