Born in Izmir in 1994, pianist, singer and songwriter Merve Akyıldız completed her studies in piano at the state conservatory in Antalya. While she mostly grew up with Turkish folk songs, her Macedonian roots meant that she also encountered in Balkan music while she was young. As a pianist she participated in various festivals, including the 13th International Antalya Piano Festival with Fazıl Say as artistic director. At the 11th Nardis Young Jazz Local Competition, she was awarded a young artists’ scholarship and won several piano contests as well. Ever since she has worked in jazz, »ethno«, ambient, pop and Balkan styles with a variety of artists from across the globe and has contributed to various albums. In 2018 she founded the Merve Akyıldız World Music Project, her first solo project in the Balkan-based world music genre. She is a soloist in the YuMaK team, which performs with various symphony orchestras in Turkey. In 2024 she was a guest artist at the world premiere in London of Poetry & Jazz represented by well-known Turkish actor Selçuk Yöntem.
She is currently based in Berlin and can be seen performing as a musician and actress in ALLES WIRD SCHÖN SEIN at the Maxim Gorki Theatre.
