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GONCA GÜRSES VAN HERPEN
(Coloratura Soprano)
She was born in Münich, Germany. She is the grand-daughter of Hafız Burhan Gürses who was the singing teacher of the famous Turkish Classical Music singer, Hamiyet Yüceses. He sang in the Istanbul Radio House during the period of Münir Nurettin Selçuk. His singing teacher gave him the “Gürses” (strong, flowing voice) surname during the Surname Law.
Since primary school she had sung in choirs. In 1992, she was graduated from 9 September University, English Teaching as a Second Language, BA diploma. In 1993, she started singing in Izmir French Cultural Association Classical Music Choir and also started taking singing lessons from Sabahat Tekebas.
Between 1995-2001 she studied Performing Arts in Opera and Musical in Istanbul Mimar Sinan State Conservatory, BM diploma. During her study she worked with the following singing coaches; Lynn Trepel Çaglar, Azra Gün, Payam Koryak.
Since 1995, she has been giving Classical Music, Christmas Carol and Broadway Musical Concerts in French, Austrian, Italian Cultural Centers, Bosphorus Univ., Robert College etc.
Between 1996-2004, she worked for Istanbul State Opera House as a contracted solo singer, her performances were:
The lead role Nina in the "Nutcracker" children musical based on Tchaikovsky's music.
Conservatory graduation complete opera lead role Musetta from "La Bohème" Opera, Puccini and Fauré Requiem, soprano solo with MSÜ Orchestra, conducted by Fahrettin Kerimov.
"Do you like Mozart?", sang "The Magic Flute" Queen of the Night.
"Telephone" comic opera, lead role Lucy.
In 1999, she attended a Bel Canto singing workshop of Leyla Gencer in Atatürk Cultural Centre.
She sang classical and musical repertoire in "Turkuaz Music Group" touring around and out of Turkey.
In 2003, she attended a vocal singing workshop of Eva Blahová "Wiener Musik Seminar" in Vienna and gave a recital in Bösendorfer Saal.
In 2006, she attended the workshop of French percussionist Le Quan Ninh "Transit-İstanbul Improvisation Days in Music”. She was invited by the "Islak Köpek " Group for vocal improvisation in their performance. She also did a vocal improvisation for the improvisational dance performance in Darphane-i Amire.
Apart from being a singer, she worked as an English, music, drama, dance, singing and Turkish Culture teacher in international schools, including her conservatory MSU she was graduated from.
In 2003 starting as a hobby, after studying and making research about alternative healing, she studied the healing power of the human voice "Sound Healing" technique with Jonathan Goldman in Boulder, Denver, Colorado and received a sound healer certificate. She is the first and only Turkish Sound Healer in Turkey who is also a member of the “World Sound Healers Association”. She continues her sound healing career by giving private and group sessions, workshops and doing vocal improvisation.
In 2008, she gave a Christmas Carol Concert in Kuruçeşme Divan, for the Dutch Consulate. For the opening of 2009 Istanbul Biennial, she gave a Classical Concert in the Dutch Consulate. In Sept. 2014, she sang in , "3 Sopranos Classic Summer Recital" in the Dutch Chapel, İstanbul. In Mach, she gave a concert
She is married the Dutch chef, photographer, documentary program maker Wilco van Herpen and has a daughter named Sira.