Dincer Özer began his musical training with his father Erdem Özer. Later, he was accepted to further his musical studies at the Ankara State Conservatory ın Turkey with Muzaffer Erberik and Hasim Yedican.

During his undergraduate studies, he gave many performances with various percussion groups in which he later became a permanent member.

After graduating from the percussion department, he gained a position at the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, where he became a member of the percussion group.

Özer was awarded first prize at 'Mediterranean Youth Orchestra (France) and performed there as the leader of the percussion group. He also participated in many masterclasses abroad including the classes led by renowned percussionist Sylvic Gualdo  (France) and jazz musician S. Saunders Smith (USA). He furthered his knowledge of symphonic music with Dannis Kain and rock music with Kenneith Anoff. His performance were highly acclaimed by the American press.

He won first prize to obtain a scholarship by the Swiss Government to study baget percussion with Yves Bruestaux, mallet percussion with William Blanc, and Latin percussion with John Mayer in Geneva.

In addition to his musical duties at the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara, Özer also continues to give solo performances which include works such as Bela Bartok‘s Concerto for Two Pianos and Percussion. He also performed with the Swiss Roman Orchestra, International Geneva Percussion Group and took part in numerous CD and TV recording projects in Turkey and abroad.

Touring extensively with the Presidential Orchestra around the world, he still spends quality time on new projects, adopting Turkish melodies and rhythms to keyboard percussion instruments, performing as a duo with his percussionist brother Soner Özer as well as with many modern dance and folk dance companies.

Currently a faculty lecturer at the Gazi University‘s Faculty of Fine Arts, where he shares his musical knowledge and promotes young talents while organizing a percussion festival which celebrates its 7th anniversary this year.

 

Ruya Taner, commonly regarded one of Turkey‘s leading pianists of the new generation, comes from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

 

Her first teacher of music was her father. She continued her musical education as a student at the Ankara State Conservatory in Turkey, where she studied in the class of Prof. Mithat Fenmen and Prof. Tulga Cetiz.

On the basis of the Highly Gifted Children Act, Ruya was awarded a state scholarship to study in London. She studied with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and acquired degrees in AGSM and ARCM from the Royal College of Music in 1992 and the prestigious Concert Recital Diploma in 1994.

 

Throughout her student years, she participated in many masterclasses including one with Pascal Roge (Nice). Later the two musicians performed together at the Bellapais Festival in Northern Cyprus.

A prize winner of many national festivals around the United Kingdom, which include first prize at "National Mozart Piano Competition, Oxford and Hatfield" festivals, in which she was praised by critics for her interpretation of Franz Liszt and later at her London Wigmore Hall debut recital. 

Since her debut at The Wigmore Hall, she appeared at London’s St John Smith Square, Fairfield Hall and major venues within the United Kingdom. She has toured extensively over 42 countries in Europe, USA, Asia and the Gulf region, giving solo recitals, chamber music and concerto performances.

 

Taner has performed with the leading orchestras in Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir, Antalya, and Mersin; with the Turkish Armed Forces Orchestra in Turkey, Belgium, Ukraine, Sarajevo and Macedonia; and with Philharmonic Orchestras in Minsk, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, as well as with the chamber orchestras and the Royal Oman State Symphony Orchestra.

 

Her performances abroad have been broadcast on national television stations in many countries such as Italy, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

 

In recent years Ruya has dedicated more time to chamber music, giving performances with the leading violinist of the new generation, Cihat Askin, and two piano recitals with the ADAP (Association for Artists United for Peace) musicians, of which she is a permanent member.

Currently, she is an advisor on art to the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. She covers the Bellapais and Lefke Music Festivals and is a visiting piano professor at the DAU in her native country.

 

Her recordings of the "Mozart Piano Concerto no.21 Live Brussels 1996”, highlights from the "Wigmore Hall Debut Recital” in 1998 and "Sweet Waters of Europe” recorded at Rudolfinum in Prague received much acclaim from the press and music lovers around the world.

 

Her future projects in 2019 include appearances with leading orchestras in Helsinki, and recitals in Slovenia, on Capri, in Spain and Estonia.

Percussıve Colours founded ın 2012 (Ruya Taner, pıano and Dinçer Özer, percussion)

has toured extensıvely ın Europe, ıncludıng the Steınway Hall London and Stockholm, Portugal (Sintra festıval), Alba, Portofıno Sıcıly and Sardinia festıvals ın Italy, Slovakıa, Macedonıa, Bulgarıa, Azerbaijan, Spain, Scotland , Thailand and Brunei.Theır unıque mıxed programme ıncludes well known pıano repertoıre as well as Turkısh modern composers and folk tunes, provıdıng a wıde range of cultural mosaıcs from Turkey. Theır future engagements ın 2018-19 ınclude Fınland, Italy, Spain, Estonia, Slovenia and France.