In founding this new professional orchestra in Hastings, the artistic director and principal conductor of Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, Marcio da Silva, set himself the challenge of putting Hastings back on the map as a centre of excellence for classical music – one that will be recognised both nationally and internationally.  This will be Hastings Philharmonic  Orchestra’s first concert at the Stables Theatre, performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Grieg’s Holberg Suite.

Ayşen Ulucan – confirmed as Violin soloist

“One woman, one instrument, one evening-but what an evening, instrument and woman.” Hastings Observer

Aysen Ulucan is a versatile musician enjoying a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher and orchestra musician. Based in Hastings, UK, she regularly performs in and outside the UK with various chamber music partners and orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Having completed her studies in Freiburg, Germany in the classes of Prof. Rainer Kussmaul and Prof. Muriel Cantorreggi, she has played as a soloist with Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, Baden Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, Hastings Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfonica de Minas Gerais, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Eskisehir State Symphony Orchestras; and received invaluable coaching from Maxim Vengerov, Jorg Widmann, Rosa Fain, Zakhar Bron, Duncan Riddell, Svetlana Makarova, Ayla Erduran, Cihat Askin,Rosa Fain, Lukas David, over the years.

Among her chamber music partners are Maxim Vengerov, Richard Harwood, Chian Lim, Francis Rayner, Ellen Jewett, and Ozcan & Birsen Ulucan with whom she also has recorded a CD “Bir Agac Gibi”.

Aysen was born 1985 in Bulgaria to a Turkish family of a paediatrician mother, a surgeon father and two older siblings playing the violin and the piano. She had her first violin lessons at the age of 4 with her brother Ozcan. Upon emigrating to Istanbul, Turkey in 1989; she was accepted to the Istanbul University State Conservatory as a junior student; where she studied with Veniamin Warshawsky and Genoveva Burova.