Sezai Kocabiyik

Born in Bulgaria, Sezai Kocabiyik started his music training at an early age. After moving to Turkey he continued his studies in Istanbul at the state conservatoire of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University with Gulsen Negis and Bengu Guloksuz. He finished the academy in 1996 as a first prize winner.
A participation in a national woodwind competition organised be The British Council the same year also brought him a distinguished First Prize as the "Young Musician of the Year". With the prize being a full scholarship at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Sezai Kocabiyik spent the following year studying in the United Kingdom with Hugh McKenna and Robin Canter. For his studies at the College he was awarded with a Postgraduate Diploma.
During the course of many years Sezai Kocabiyik has had the chance to study for short periods with many very important contemporary oboist such as Nicholas Daniel, Douglas Boyd, Hansjörg Schellenberger, François Leleux, Diethelm Jonas abd Alexey Utkin. 
Presently, besides occupying the Principal Oboe post of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra and Istanbul Borusan Philharmonic, Sezai Kocabiyik is enjoying a very diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician and member of many other orchestras/ensembles with repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary. The artist was the recepient of the prestigious "The Woodwind Musician of the Year" award in 2016 given by the Turkish classical music magazine "Andante".