Bugra Gultek

Born in Ankara, Bugra Gultek began his musical journey at the age of seven, taking his first piano lessons with the renowned composer Melih Kibar. Although his academic path initially led him to engineering, his passion for music never waned. During the years at Middle East Technical University’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, he continued his piano studies under Assoc. Prof. Sibel Özgün from the Ankara State Conservatory, participating in university concerts and Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) programs. ​

 

After completing his engineering degree in 1995, Gultek pursued music professionally. He was accepted into multiple conservatories in Eastern Europe, including the Franz Liszt Academy’s Debrecen and Szeged branches, the Prague Conservatory, and the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Czechia. He chose JAMU, where he studied piano performance with Prof. Josefa Hlouskova and piano pedagogy with Prof. Alena Vlasakova.

 

In 2000, he graduated from JAMU piano pedagogy department as a certified piano teacher with the highest distinction mark. ​ Upon his return to Ankara, he earned a Master’s degree in Music Education at Gazi University. During this time, he also taught piano to undergraduate students at the university. From 2004 to 2006, he worked as a piano teacher at the Sevda Cenap And Music Foundation, one of Ankara's most respected music institutions. ​

 

In 2006, Gultek founded Epilog Music Publications. His first major publication, "Piyano: Bir Çalgının Biyografisi" (Piano: A Biography of an Instrument), was released in 2007. It remains one of the most comprehensive Turkish-language resources on the history of the piano and since then has been widely used in conservatories and music faculties. 

 

​ In 2008, he edited and published "Czerny: Op. 599 – The First Teacher of the Piano". Its bilingual Turkish–Czech second edition attracted attention from the Schott–Panton publishing house of Czechia, which took on its distribution in the Czechia and Slovakia. 

 

That same year, Gultek became the regional editor for Schott Music's  famous "The European Piano Method"  by Emonts, adapting it for use in Turkiye, Hungary, and Czechia. The book, translated and printed by Epilog Music Publications in Ankara, has since been imported by Barenreiter Praha, another major publishing house of Europe, to distribute to Slovakia and Czehia and used extensively in music schools there.  ​ These international accomplishments culminated in Gultek being awarded the prestigious "Donizetti Classical Music Award" in 2013.

 

The following year, he was selected as a jury member for the same award ceremony. He later edited and published the Turkish edition of Usborne’s "First Book of the Piano", further expanding accessible music education literature for children. ​ In 2013, he authored "Müzik Dedektifleri: Mozart’ın İzinde" (The Music Detectives – In Search of Mozart), a children’s book combining fiction and music history. It presents Mozart’s life and works through a detective narrative, engaging young readers in musical discovery. This particular book was many times selected as a must read by several school chains in the country. ​

 

From 2008 to 2018, he contributed regularly to Andante, Turkiye’s leading classical music magazine, writing columns that explored piano performance, pedagogy, and educational philosophy. ​

 

As a recognized pedagogue, Gultek earned the Licentiate Diploma in Piano Teaching (LLCM TD) from the University of West London, London College of Music, in 2017. That same year, he completed a two-volume pedagogical book series , "Piyano Nasıl Öğretilir? - Piyano Pedagojisinin Temelleri" (How to Teach Piano - The Fundamentals of Piano Pedagogy).  ​

 

Between 2011 and 2014, he attended international piano pedagogy courses at the Prague Conservatory, where he studied the approach of Prof. Milan Langer, chair of the piano department. ​

 

Over the course of almost two and a half decades, Gultek has taught hundreds of piano students of all ages and levels. His pupils have earned certificates and diplomas from ABRSM, LCM of UK and RCM of Canada, including piano performance, music theory and teaching credentials up to  performance and teaching diplomas. His pupils competed in domestic and international piano competitions. ​

 

He is a registered teacher of the London College of Music and an international member of the Nova Scotia Registered Music Teachers’ Association (NSRMTA) of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations (CFMTA). In 2019, he was certified as an “Advanced Expert Piano Teacher” by Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music. ​

 

As a composer, Gultek is best known for his lyrical and expressive style, which blends classical traditions with contemporary harmonic colors. His piano works range from accessible pieces for beginners to challenging concert repertoire, and are widely appreciated by students, teachers, and performers alike. His latest collection, "21 Piano Pieces - A Graded Concert Repertoire", combines pedagogical value with emotional depth, inviting pianists of all ages to explore a wide range of moods, techniques, and pianistic colors. ​

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Bugra Gultek lives in Ankara with his wife, piano educator and composer Sezil Gultek and their two children, Boran and Yonca. Together, they teach and manage the Gultek Piano Academy as well as Epilog Music Publications.