Production Team

OUR TEAM

www.nazannihal.com

Nazan Nihal (Singer & Songwriter)

Nazan Nihal began her professional music career straight out of college but the start of her songwriting actually dates back to her days in middle school when she would tinker with her first lyrics. By the time she was in High School she was filling notebooks with songs and finally in college she scrapped together the funds to buy her first electric guitar and the transformation into singer/songwriter was complete and there was no looking back. Since then her talents have graced stages across the globe including Turkey, The Netherlands, Canada and The United States. Unique to Nihal is that she built her music career in tandem with a career in pharmaceutical studies, eventually also earning her PhD in Pharmacy between gigs and studio sessions.

She released her first single ‘’Today’’ on iTunes in the Fall of 2013. As a singer/songwriter, she was honored with many prestigious industry prizes. She was the songwriter of "Paket" - First Prize, Miller Music Factory Awards, (Istanbul 2008); the singer of "The Girl Who Has Chocolate Eyes" - First Prize, Halıcı Electronic Music Contest (Istanbul 2011). She beat out hundreds to become one of 10 finalists in the nationally televised finale of the''Altın Anten Pop Music Songwriting Contest'' (Istanbul 2014). Nihal was also singer, co-arranger and co-producer of Neotolia’s Rose Lace Album recognized by the Global Music Awards (Bronze, 2014).

She released her first debut album “Ayrılıklar Öldürmüyor” which features album producer Tuna VELİBAŞOĞLU the frontman of well known Turkish Rock band SEKSENDÖRT on April 2017. All lyrics and music on the album were written by Nazan Nihal and the album will be distributed in retail outlets and all digital platforms under the label Poll Production.
In addition to her solo career she is a founding member of the folk jazz band called NEOTOLIA. Together with co-lead Utar Artun, Neotolia performs regularly in the Boston area and across North America.

Utar Artun (Composer, Arranger and Pianist)

Utar Artun was born in Ankara, Turkey. In 2006, he arranged musical pieces for the theater play “The 7 Women”. Artun arranged numerous movie soundtracks and oldies/jazz music for symphonic orchestras,In 2008, Artun graduated from Percussion Department of Hacettepe Conservatory with 2nd Rank (runner-up) Degree of School Placement Award (Turkey).

After his graduation, he participated to European Scholarship Tours of Berklee College of Music and graduated in 2.5 years with summa cum laude degree. He was awarded for highly “Honorable Mention” from Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra Composition Competition, Barnes&Noble award, 5 Dean’s List awards, Outstanding Pianist award, Arif Mardin Scholarship Award and Brian Oliver Memorial Award. He was among the finalist of ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composers Competition (2010) and Young Jazz Composers Competition (2011). In January 2010 and 2012, one of his compositions was selected to Jazz Revaluation Records CDs. He was a JRR artist of Berklee and Artun was a part of ‘Birds of Feather’, ‘Octave’ and ‘Ripple Effect’ albums. In 2011, he performed with Kevin Eubanks in the studio recording session of WGBH Studios - Boston, MA. In the US, He’s been in workshops, clinics, concert performances and album recordings with world renowned artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Dave Weckl, Jojo Mayer, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Dave Liebman, Antonio Sanchez, Mark Guiliana, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Simon Shaheen, Dave Holland, Larry Finn, Eddie Gomez, Jason Moran, Fred Hersch, Kati Agocs, Hankus Netsky, Ken Schaphorst, Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, Erkan Ogur, Anat Cohen, Yazhi Guo, Luis Conte, Kenwood Dennard, Jason Linder, Ledisi and David Fiuczynski. He involves into the Rhythm of the Universe and Berklee Yo-Team Projects as an Arranger, Performer, Conductor and Orchestrator, and Planet MicroJam Institute at Berklee College of Music.

Artun won the 18th HALICI MIDI Composition Contest and 2nd place in the Berklee Film Scoring Contest 7 in 2011. In February 2013, He won a runner-up award of the TRT 2013 Children Choir Contest. In 2013, Artun won the Highest Award of SCAMV 1st National Symphonic Composition Contest. In Turkey, he is one the highly awarded scholars of Foundation of Modern Education (CEV) and Ankara Jazz Society (ACD). In 2016, won the 3rd place award of 9th Eczacibasi National Composition Contest with his symphonic lied "Hiclik". Recently, he won the Boston Microtonal Society Award and released his solo music video “Cajonversations”. Currently, he's writing new ballet music for the Ankara State Opera & Ballet's Modern Dance projects. In 2017, He composed the first Piano & Cajon Concertant in the world and he premiered it at Zorlu PSM in Istanbul with Istanbul Symphony Orchestra.

In 2015, Artun got his M.M. degree from the historic New England Conservatory with ‘Academic Honors’. He has also composed and arranged over 120 pieces for symphony orchestra, as well as more than 160 pieces for brass bands and big bands. Featured on various studio albums as a piano player, arranger, and drummer. His compositions and arrangements are performed in USA, Switzerland, Turkey, Holland, China, Canada, Taiwan and Russia. Artun is working as an Arranger for Ankara Kent Bigband and Musical Director for Classical Oasis Ensemble. Furthermore, He's a voting member at The Recording Academy for upcoming Grammy Awards. In addition to that, Utar Artun is a member of SCI, NACUSA, Cagdas Turk Bestecileri and BMI. Currently, Artun is a faculty member at Berklee College of Music.

www.utarartun.com

Luc Reuvers (Lyricist / Co-Producer)

Luc Reuvers worked as a DJ and produced jingles for radio and events. He announced (presenting/voice over) local, national and international Dutch basketball events. He studied a minor in music science. Besides working as a freelance journalist, he also did Turkish studies and translated Turkish songs into Dutch and English. With writing poems he touched people’s heart, so he decided to contribute with lyrics.

Mete Artun (Mix & Mastering)

Mete Artun was born in Ankara. He begun his musical education at Ankara State Conservatory. Artun was among the finalists of Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 (Ireland) and 2000 (Sweden).

He's continuing his musical career in his own Studio, Artun Productions since 1983. Mete Artun has done more than 100 album recordings. Currently, he's the Arranger and Musical Director of Yavuz Bingol, Oyku Gurman, Hasan Yukselir, Nurretin Rencber, Onur Akin, Zekai Tunca, Yuksel Dural, TAI, Neotolia, Grup Istasyon, Turan Ustabas and State Theater (aka Devlet Tiyatrosu).

Other than that, Artun has done numerous recordings & music for documentaries and jingles.

Dave D'aranjo (Interrobang Records)

Dave is an electric & upright bassist, drummer, and producer originally from Singapore. He has toured the world as a musician: throughout the United States, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Southeast Asia, and more. He is a triple-graduate of Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music - with degrees in Professional Music, Performance, and Contemporary Writing & Production. Dave also attended NYC’s world-famous Bass Collective, and has appeared on an instructional DVD (“Groove Workshop”, 2008) by Grammy-award winning bassist Victor Wooten. He is a member of ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) and a voting member of The Recording Academy - having attended the 56th and 59th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremonies on Jan. 26, 2014, and Feb. 12, 2017, respectively. Dave is also very active as a pit musician, having played dozens of musicals over the past few years - recently including the 50th anniversary of “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” at the LaMama Experimental Theatre NYC on January 21st, 2017. Dave is the Founder and Creative Director of Interrobang Records, a record label and production collective that specializes in supporting the music of Berklee graduates. In 2013, Interrobang Records artists Albino Mbie and Yuto Kanazawa both independently won 1st place in the World Music and Jazz categories, respectively, of the 2013 International Songwriting Competition. Since 2009, the label has been honored to feature the amazing talents of musicians / acts such as Kurt Elling, Dave Liebman, Casey Benjamin, Emily Elbert, David Sánchez, Jonathan Pinson, Bear Language, Bent Knee, J. Hoard, Jaime Woods, Josh Shpak, Yazhi Guo, David Fiuczynski, Arto Tunçboyaciyan, Dave Weckl, and many, many more.