Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean by Ayse Deniz

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Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean by AyseDeniz

Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean by AyseDeniz
Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean by AyseDeniz

A lot of us like to say, that Columbus discovered America.

I like to say, that I discovered, AyseDeniz.

This classy woman with hectares of talent is, good looking, brilliant, vivacious, personable – in fact – she’s bursting with personality.

Ayşedeniz Gökçin (Anglicised as “AyseDeniz Gokcin“) is a Turkish classical pianist and composer who was born in 1988.

After graduating in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree from Eastman School of Music,*[3] Gökçin completed a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music in 2011.[1][4]

She is known for recording an EP of her arrangements for solo piano of the music of the rock band Pink Floyd in the style of Franz Liszt, Pink Floyd Lisztified.[1] The EP comprises three tracks, which, she says, form a fantasia. These are: “Hey You”
“Wish You Were Here” and “Another Brick in the Wall.”

*these notations are from a WiKi page.

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Here is AyseDeniz performing an impossible rendition of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lroaq1VAkmc

Here’s more stuff about AyseDeniz: Biography, Short

AyseDeniz is a classical/rock crossover pianist currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, London, and Istanbul. She started playing piano at age five and was considered a child prodigy in her native home of Turkey. She completed her Bachelor’s in Piano Performance at Eastman School of Music in New York and her Masters in Piano Performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

AyseDeniz is recognized internationally for her ability to unite the classical genre with classic rock and creating original rock arrangements and compositions, which she now performs for fans worldwide to sold-out shows. She has appeared on BBC News, Vogue, Classic FM, Prog Rock Magazine, and more. The Arts Council England endorses her under the Exceptional Talent Visa.

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Detailed

AyseDeniz always knew she wanted to be a pianist. As a toddler, she would play on her parents' Kawai piano until she turned five, and her fingers were finally long enough to take lessons. By the age of six, she was considered a child prodigy in her native homeland of Turkey, and at nine, she made her soloist debut with the Gordion Chamber Orchestra. By the time she was thirteen, she had already performed with various orchestras under famed conductors, including Ibrahim Yazici, Cem Mansur, and Kirill Karabits.

As a young pianist, AyseDeniz attended prestigious summer festivals, including the Verbier Academy, Music Academy of the West, and Aspen Music Festival. She has studied with renowned piano instructors such as five-time Grammy nominee Menahem Pressler and Juilliard's Chair of the Piano Department, Yoheved Kaplinsky. In middle school, Ayse moved to Spain for half a year to study with the renowned Bach interpreter Rosalyn Tureck, becoming one of her last students.

In 2007, upon hearing AyseDeniz’s interpretation of Chopin Sonata No. 3, Nikolai Petrov personally invited her to perform in the Kremlin Palace, “a renowned concert that was marked somewhat of a milestone”.

AyseDeniz completed her bachelor’s degree in 2009 at Eastman School of Music, where she received the Howard Hanson and Clements Scholarships. In 2011, Ayse completed her Masters in Piano Performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She graduated with honors and completed the LRAM Teaching Certificate. Throughout her early career, AyseDeniz has played concerts worldwide, including Duke's Hall, Steinway Hall, Kings Place London (UK), and Galleria d'Arte Moderna, San Fedele Milan (Italy).

In 2011, with numerous achievements and awards under her belt, AyseDeniz made a rebellious and unprecedented move to compose piano arrangements of Pink Floyd songs in the style of classical composer, Franz Liszt, to celebrate his 200th anniversary. When she put the three arrangements online in 2012, they went viral and were shared on the Pink Floyd Facebook page. Upon the requests of fans, Ayse released the "Pink Floyd Classical Concept" album in 2013, which she then went on to perform internationally.

Despite all of the prestigious classical music awards and milestones she has reached, AyseDeniz remains most proud of her success, unifying unlikely audiences with her genre-bending projects. In 2015, AyseDeniz released the "Nirvana Project," dedicated to Kurt Cobain. It reached the UK Top 10 Classical Charts on iTunes. In 2016 she won the 'Pianist of the Year' in Turkey, and in 2017 she made her debut at New York City's iconic venue, 'Le Poisson Rouge.' She is recognized internationally for her ability to unite the classical genre with classic rock and creating original rock arrangements and compositions, which she now performs for fans worldwide to sold-out shows.

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AyseDeniz has appeared on BBC News, Classic FM, Prog Rock Magazine, International Piano Magazine, Andante Magazine, MusicOff, Vogue and continues to attract the attention of fans with her fresh, genre colliding projects. In 2018, she was named as one of the three rising stars on BBC Music Magazine's "Ones to Watch Out For."

In an emotional message to her fans, AyseDeniz wrote,

When I was growing up, people told me I couldn't succeed in everything I wanted in life; That I couldn't be good in academics and in music; That I couldn't play classical AND rock; That I couldn't touch jazz or pop. During my first years, I wasn't even allowed to wear jewelry to lessons and definitely no sneakers to concerts!

When I got older, industry members said I should only focus on one genre because they think YOU only listen to one genre and live in a box! Guess what - they were wrong, and I am so glad I didn't listen to any of them!

In January 2019, AyseDeniz's original album, "Earth Prelude," entered the Top 10 iTunes classical charts in the UK, USA, Turkey, and Italy.

As of April 2019, AyseDeniz is a Kawai Artist, and the Arts Council England endorses her under the Exceptional Talent Visa.

AyseDeniz released her album MOTUS January 2020 and it got over 150K streams its first week. The album is a collection of short piano pieces inspired by her outdoor travels and daily observations of the internal and societal struggles we all face.

AyseDeniz’s digital tracks are on iTunes, and her original piano scores & arrangements are on Music Notes. You can follow AyseDeniz on Facebook and watch her performances on YouTube.

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