Burhan Öçal

Burhan Öçal is a Turkish-Swiss percussionist and multi-instrumentalist born on April 25, 1959, in Kırklareli. He began performing as a concertist at age six and relocated to Switzerland in the late 1960s. Öçal collaborated with jazz musicians including Pierre Favre, George Gruntz, and Maria João Pires. He founded the Burhan Öçal Group and the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble, which combined Turkish and Romani influences. His career featured collaborations with Joe Zawinul, Trilok Gurtu, Sting, and Natacha Atlas. Öçal performed at festivals including the Montreux Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival. His discography included the studio recordings Jardin Ottoman (1996) and Sultan's Secret Door (1997). In 2001, he toured with the Kronos Quartet, for which he also composed music. He performed on instruments including the darbuka, baglama, tanbur, and oud.