BIOGRAPHY

Meriç Çalışan (b. 1993, Ankara) is a Turkish jazz vocalist, performer, and academic whose work bridges artistic practice and research.

 

She began her musical training at the age of seven at the SCA Music Foundation and later studied jazz vocal performance at Hacettepe University State Conservatory. During her studies, she worked with distinguished artists such as Yıldız İbrahimova and Randy Esen, experiences that shaped her artistic voice and improvisational approach.

 

Following her undergraduate degree, Çalışan joined the faculty of Hacettepe University State Conservatory as an instructor.

 

In 2018, she was accepted to Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam, where she pursued graduate studies and collaborated with internationally acclaimed musicians including Tineke Postma, Dick de Graaf, and Jarmo Hoogendijk.

 

Çalışan has performed at numerous international festivals and platforms, including the Istanbul Jazz Festival, North Sea Round Town Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Umbria Jazz Workshop, and the Ankara Jazz Festival, among others.

 

Alongside her performing career, she is deeply engaged in artistic research focusing on jazz vocal performance and improvisation. In March 2020, she was awarded Second Prize in the Codarts Artistic Research Competition, where the jury praised her work for its strong methodology, musical depth, and potential contribution to both jazz and makam traditions.

 

Çalışan completed her Proficiency in Arts (PhD equivalent) in Vocal Performance and is currently a faculty member at Başkent University State Conservatory. She continues to perform actively in national and international projects while developing research at the intersection of voice, improvisation, and artistic inquiry.