Suna Kan

Artist, Violin Player, Musician

Death
11 June, 2023
Education
Ankara State Conservatory

A violin virtuoso (b. 936 in Adana.- d. 11 June 2023, Istanbul) His father was Nuri Kan, the Viola Player at the Presidency Symphonic Orchestra. When she was five years old, she started to learn how to play the violin from her father, and then she started taking violin courses from the family friend, Hulusi Karsel. She won the entry exams of Ankara State Conservatory and started her violin studies with Walter Gerhardt which she then continued with İzzet Nezih Albayrak and Gilbert Back.

She gave her first recital on 18th April 1946 at the concert hall of Ankara State Conservatory. Due to this recital where she played the 5th Violin Concerto of Mozart, she was called and known as “The Wonder Child” and considered to continue her education in Europe. With “the law for İdil Biret and Suna Kan to be sent abroad for music education” (the Wonder Child Law) in 1948 which was issued name specific, the opportunity to obtain state scholarship to study abroad rose. A while after the enforcement of the law, she first moved to Rome with her family, later she was sent to Paris Conservatory. Suna Kan studied with Gabriel Bouillon in Paris and graduated from Paris Conservatory with first grade degree in 1952.

The violinist continued her repertory studies with Gabriel Bouillon after graduating from the conservatory and attended international competitions. She won Genève Competition with first prize (1954), Viotti Competition with first prize (1955), Munich Competition with second prize (1956) and Long-Thibaud Competition Paris City Prize (1957).

She returned to the country in 1957 and was assigned as the soloist artist of the Presidency Symphonic Orchestra. She married musician and music critic Faruk Güvenç. The same year she gave any chamber music concerts and recitals in many parts of the country and centers abroad, as the violin-piano duo she formed with the first concert pianist of Turkey, Ferhunde Ekin. Afterwards, she started working with Gülay Uğurata who completed her education abroad. The due played together for twenty nine years. In the early 1970s, she participated in the formation of Ankara Chamber Orchestra with orchestra chief Gürer Aykal and her husband Faruk Güvenç. In 1977–86, she worked at the orchestra as the leader violinist and soloist artist. The orchestra gave over a hundred concerts abroad and made many records.

The famous violinist with a wide range of repertory is one of the leading artists of the repertory that Turkish composers composed for the violin. She performed the first playing of Violin Concerto of Necil Kazım Akses, became one of the best interpreters of the violin Concerto of Ulvi Cemal Erkin which she played frequently and she performed the Violin Concerto of Ahmet Adnan Saygun. Due to her contributions and services to the Turkish art, she was awarded with the title of State Artist in 1971. In 1988 she married diplomat Halit Güvener and lived in Hungary as an ambassadress. The artist was awarded with Sevda – Cenap And Musical Foundation Gold Honor Medal in 1996. 

REFERENCE: Vural Sözer / Müzik ve Müzisyenler Ansiklopedisi (s. 205–206, 1964), Büyük Larousse (c. 10, s. 6274, 1986), Avni Anıl / Anılar ve Belgelerle Musikimiz (1981), Mehmet Nazmi Özalp / Türk Musikisi Tarihi (1986), Yılmaz Öztuna / Büyük Türk Musikisi Ansiklopedisi (1990), Müşerref Hekimoğlu / Suna Kan: Öz Şarkısını Duyuran Keman (1997), Şefik Kahramankaptan / İsmet İnönü ve Hârika Çocuklar İdil Biret Suna Kan  (1998), Ahmet Şahin Ak / Türk Musikisi Tarihi (2002), Vural Sözer / Müzik Ansiklopedik Sözlük (2005),  İhsan Işık / Ünlü Sanatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 5, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013),)Dünyaca ünlü keman virtüözü, Devlet Sanatçısı Suna Kan hayatını kaybetti! (hürriyet.com.tr, 11 Haziran 2023).

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