Gözde Çakır Ramsey, DMA

Gözde Çakır Ramsey, DMA, a distinguished native of Turkey, holds the esteemed position of Assistant Professor of Flute at Tennessee Tech University and serves as the principal flutist with the Bryan Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her appointment at Tennessee Tech University, Ramsey demonstrated her musical prowess as the second flutist with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, contributing her expertise as a flute professor at both Missouri Western State University and Benedictine College. 

In addition to her orchestral engagements, Ramsey has made significant contributions to music education as a teaching artist at Harmony Project Kansas City and as a flute instructor for the Blue Valley School District. She successfully managed her own private flute studio, offering instruction both online and in the Kansas City area. Her artistry has extended to collaborations with notable ensembles such as Trio Fiore KC, Midwest Chamber Ensemble, and the Kansas City Lyric Opera. 

Ramsey’s international presence in the world of classical music is marked by performances in Turkey, the United States, France, Switzerland, and Kosovo. Noteworthy engagements include appearances at the National Flute Association, Florida Flute Association, Opus Erasmus III Mélodie et poésie dans la musique contemporaine in Paris, the International Istanbul Pera Music Festival, and the International Kosovo Music Festival known as Zgijime Art. 

Her exceptional talent has garnered recognition in prestigious competitions, including second prize at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, second prize in the Izmir International Flute Competition, and first place in the Yamaha Scholarship Award. Ramsey has also received honorable mention at the Nixon Woodwind Competition and emerged as the winner of the concerto competition at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. 

Beyond her performance accolades, Ramsey is actively engaged in creating content for national conferences throughout the United States. Her academic pursuits include a deep passion for researching Turkish music, and she is committed to collaborating with living composers to contribute to the evolving landscape of contemporary classical music. 

Ramsey earned her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Flute Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, her Master of Music from Central Michigan University, and her undergraduate degree from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University-Istanbul State Conservatory.

Mert Ozkan

Mert Ozkan, M.M. began playing cello at age 8 in his hometown of Edirne, Turkey. Ozkan has completed his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Trakya University State Conservatory.  

In 2012, he won the cello audition of Turkish Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and took part in the world premiere of Fazıl Say’s “Istanbul Symphony” under the direction of Gürer Aykal. In 2014, he took part as a principal cellist in Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca” at the Sicily Island Taormina Festival and in “La boheme” opera with the Royal Opera House Production. In 2015, he took part as a principal cellist in the Young Euro Classic Festival held in Berlin Konzerthaus, Germany. He holds a second Master’s degree from Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana and currently is pursuing a Doctoral degree with Dr. Alexander Russakovsky at the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2018, Ozkan participated in the workshop named ‘’ 3^rd Mediterranean Network for Music’’ in Parma, Italy. He had the opportunity to play a duet as a band conductor in the honorary artist Italian composer and cellist Giovanni Sollima’s 40-member Cello Orchestra. 

Ozkan has worked on Dvorak Cello Concerto with American cellist Lynn Harrell and won the Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) Concerto Competition with his Dvorak performance. After Lynn Harrel’s death, he performed the concerto with SLU Orchestra to honor his legacy. Ozkan recently won the position of assistant principal for the Mississippi Symphony and continues to serve as a member for the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Gulf Coast Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, as well as a substitute for the Louisiana Philharmonic. Ozkan is also an experienced and committed cello teacher, and his students have received numerous honors in Turkey.

Sila Darville

Turkish violinist Sila Darville, Ph.D. is the Assistant Prof. of Violin and Viola at Eastern Kentucky University. She holds degrees from Istanbul Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory, University of Minnesota and Texas Tech University. She received many international awards and honors including Rotary Club International Competition for Young Musicians; Turkish Educational Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award; Berneking Fellowship; Thursday Musical Young Artist Scholarship Competition and Schubert Club Scholarship Competition.  

Throughout her career Darville has performed with many Symphonic Orchestras including the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Lubbock, Lubbock Moonlight Musicals and Kentucky Bach Choir as the principal second; the Amarillo Symphony, Midland Symphony, the La Crosse Symphony, Paducah Symphony Orchestra and Louisville Orchestra as section violinist and Amadeus Chamber Orchestra as principal viola. Her recent recordings include chamber music recording of Kentucky composer Joe Levin published under Centaur Records.  

Darville has given guest lectures and clinics at Kentucky Music Educators Association, University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Texas at Arlington, Campbell University, Youngstown State University, Bahcesehir University and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, Turkey. Darville taught at Arkhé String Camp in Izmir, Turkey- a non-profit international summer camp for music camp for string students in 2022.  

Her recent performances include Prokofiev Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Eastern Kentucky University Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Ho-Yin Kwok. Darville is a founding member of the early music group Oracle Ensemble and performs regularly with Lexington based chamber music ensemble Amadeux Lex. She performs on a 2021 Ben Mason violin. Darville is the recipient of 2023 ASTA Kentucky Chapter Outstanding Educator Award. 

Selim Girary

Selim Giray, DMA serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Mississippi and conductor of the Memphis Youth Symphony Program’s Chamber Orchestra. Giray is the author of String Methods for Beginners, and co-author of Fundamentals of Instrumental and Choral Conducting. For the last three years, Giray served on ASTA National Board as Member-at-Large. Most recently, Giray has performed as cover conductor for Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Memphis Ballet for the productions of Nutcracker, and Cinderella.  

Previously, Giray served as Concertmaster and Assistant Conductor at Ohio Light Opera. He is featured on numerous CDs and can be heard on Naxos Online Library. Giray studied the violin with Eliot Chapo, former Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Fritz Gearhart, Visiting Professor of Violin at University of Colorado Boulder; conducting with Dr. William Intriligator, Director of Dubuque and Cheyenne Symphony Orchestras, and Roman Skřepek, former Conductor of Košice State Theater Opera.