Fundraiser Launched in Honor of Barenboim-Said Academy Student

The funds will help the family of 19-year-old cellist, Ayça Gökdeniz who passed away from a sudden heart attack

Before her tragic death at age 19, Ayça Gökdeniz appeared as a soloist in numerous orchestras and was accepted to study at Berlin’s Barenboim-Said Academy.

Through performing around Berlin, Gokdeniz contributed largely to her family’s mortgage and planned to provide for her family each month with the scholarship that she would have received from the Academy.

To support her family, a gofundme page has been set up by Academy student Ali Emir Bostanci. To date, €415 has been raised for a goal of €1,500.

Gökdeniz was born in 2002 into a farming family in Turkey. Her older sister began working at age 12 to provide financial support for the family, which allowed Gokdeniz the opportunity to study abroad.

She began her musical studies at the age of seven, playing the accordion. In 2014, she attended the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory and was mentored by Dilbag Tokay, Alexander Rudin, and Christoph Henkel.

Her accolades included first prizes at Italy’s International Young Musicians Competition and Bulgaria’s International German-Austrian Music Competition. 

“Since [Ayça] passed away, [her] family has not only lost the person they valued most but is also experiencing financial hardship,” Bostanci wrote. “There is something concrete we can do. 

“As there is no chance for us to get Ayça back, we thought that maybe we could come together to help her family as a [gesture]...about their loss since they are struggling with the funeral costs. (Transportation to her grave, payment for her gravestone, her memorials.) I thank you in advance for your support and compassion.”

To support Ayça’s family, click here. Our condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues.