Meet Emre Gokalp | Classical Guitarist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emre Gokalp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emre, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks often means choosing the harder path over the easier one. Despite the challenges, I believe it’s always worth the effort.

The nature of performing involves dealing with risks and going against our natural instincts. That’s why it has become a significant part of my life since I started playing the guitar at the age of 8. When you’re on stage, everyone is looking at you with certain expectations. It almost feels like being naked in a rainforest full of wild animals, even though they’re just people sitting there to enjoy the show. This means you need to carefully calculate the risks you’re taking and consider the possible outcomes. Otherwise, you will almost certainly fail. Trust me—been there, done that! It feels terrible…

I’ve always tried to step out of my comfort zone as soon as I became too comfortable. Sometimes, this worked out well, and other times, it led to disappointment. When it pays off, you move forward without much change. But if you fail, it’s more valuable because you can learn a lot from it..

In 2016, my wife Ceren and I took a huge risk by moving from Turkey to London, UK. We had to start almost everything from scratch. Despite my studies at the Royal Academy of Music and having a good network of friends and musicians, they weren’t going to magically change our lives. Leaving our families behind and moving permanently to a different country was incredibly hard. We faced many ups and downs, but after six years of hard work and dedication, we managed to become British citizens. Now, we hold both Turkish and British citizenship and enjoy living in London.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To tell you bit about myself, I am a Turkish/British classical guitarist based in London. Throughout my career, I’ve won several prizes in international guitar competitions, including the 1st prizes in the 1st International Guitar Competition “Paris Guitar Foundation”, the 2nd Classical Guitar Competition ‘’de la Semaine Musicale en Forêt d’Orléans’’ in France, and the 1st Balkan Festival and Guitar Competition in Bulgaria among many others. I’ve performed at numerous music festivals and competitions in countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Armenia, France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and others.

I started my musical journey at the age of 8 with Ahmet Kanneci as my teacher. Later, I received a scholarship from the Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation to study for a Master of Arts degree at the Royal Academy of Music in London. During my studies at the Academy, I had the privilege of having lessons with esteemed teachers like Michael Lewin, David Russell, Fábio Zanon, Stephen Goss, and Timothy Walker. Upon completing my studies in 2014, I was awarded a DipRAM and Frank Britton Prize for outstanding and general achievements. I think I am the only Turkish ”classical guitarist” to get a degree from this prestigious institution, which was a dream come true for me.

Since relocating to London in 2016, I’ve balanced my career between teaching and performing in solo and chamber music settings, which has become my main source of income. However, this journey hasn’t been without its challenges.

The most recent challenge I faced was during the last 6 to 7 years. I was on a specific Business Visa for Turkish nationals, which required me to be self-employed and establish my own business in the UK to obtain a permanent residence permit and eventually become a British citizen. This visa restricted me from working under any contract, allowing me only to provide services within my field: classical guitar. During this period, I taught at various music schools and privately, working six days a week just to meet the visa requirements. Even though I loved teaching, this was emotionally draining and left little time for performing, but I still continued to perform. Just as I was establishing myself, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, resulting in a significant loss of work and the cancellation of all my future concerts. In response, I turned to social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, creating content and delving into video and sound editing to stay connected with my audience and with music in general. It was a constant struggle to find new ways to adapt during that time.

The journey to where I am today has been far from easy, but I don’t think I would change any of it. I came across a wonderful quote the other day: “The magic you are looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.” I think the biggest challenge is to constantly look for a way to find that magic in our lives…

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I had the opportunity to visit LA once in 2015 when I was selected as one of the 15 competitors for the Parkening International Guitar Competition, held at the beautiful Pepperdine University in Malibu.

If I had the chance to return to Malibu, I’d make it a point to visit Zuma Beach. I’d also stop by the Malibu Farm Restaurant on the pier, which offers delicious food and stunning ocean views. Nearby, the Getty Villa is a fascinating museum where you can delve into ancient art and culture. For dinner, The Lobster was great, especially in the evening.

I’d also recommend checking out the Hollywood Walk of Fame and snapping a photo of the Hollywood Sign from the Hollywood Hills. In Hollywood, I’d definitely dedicate a day to exploring Universal Studios and dining at one of the many restaurants at Universal CityWalk.

For contemporary art, the Broad Museum in downtown LA is a great choice, along with the nearby Walt Disney Concert Hall. While in the area, Otium is a great spot for lunch.

I’ve heard great things about Urth Caffé in Beverly Hills for coffee enthusiasts, Villa’s Tacos in North Hollywood for taco lovers, and Death & Co in downtown LA for those seeking an iconic cocktail experience. If I have the chance to visit LA again, I definitely plan to explore these spots!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I first picked up the guitar because of my dad, Bulent Gokalp, an opera singer and one of the finest tenors I’ve ever heard. He spent a lot of time with our Yamaha guitar, which later became my first instrument. I started playing to impress him, hoping he’d play games and spend more time with me. I consider him my first teacher and mentor, along with my mother, Emine Gokalp, an amazing theatre actress. She took me to my guitar lessons every Sunday for years and supported me every step of the way. My wife, Ceren, has also always been there for me. She’s been my rock, alongside my parents.

My guitar teachers, Ahmet Kanneci in Turkey and Michael Lewin in the UK, played huge roles in my career. Friends like Celil Refik Kaya, a composer and guitarist in New Jersey, and Srdjan Bulat, a classical guitarist in Zagreb, have also been incredibly supportive in shaping my musical journey.

I would consider the two years I spent at the Royal Academy of Music were the most important of my career. London had always been a dream destination for me, especially because my guitar heroes Julian Bream and John Williams were living there. Studying in one of the world’s finest music schools fulfilled that dream. I had the pleasure of meeting many fantastic musicians during my studies and was incredibly fortunate to rent a room at the home of Julius Drake, a world-renowned pianist. Julius and his wife, Belinda, became like family to me and had a profound impact on my life and career.

Website: https://www.emregokalp.co.uk

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Other: Contact: info@emregokalp.co.uk