Biography

The artist was born in Istanbul, Turkey on 14 December 1947. When he was 13, he moved with his parents to Geneva, Switzerland where he attended the International School of Geneva between 1960-1967. His mother was a ceramic artist and puppet maker. His father; one of the founding members of the Istanbul Philharmonic was also an accomplished concert pianist.

Yaltkaya had piano lessons from about the age of five entering the Istanbul Conservatory of Music about that time. During the latter part of his highschool years in Geneva, he became interested in jazz meanwhile playing with local rock and pop bands. Upon his graduation from highschool in 1967, he arrived in New York City graduating from the School of Economics at NYU. Between 1971-75 he studied arranging and composition at Berklee College of Music. In 1976, he joined the staff of Atlantic Recording Corporation as an arranger and producer where he worked until the end of 1986. Between 1986 and 1995 he freelanced as film composer and musical theatre during which time he entered and became a member of BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. In 1995 he permanently moved to Los Angeles, California returning back to his original love of jazz performance.

While in New York, he studied classical piano with Thomas Simons and jazz piano with Johnny Bowden and Sir Roland Hanna. At the same time he attended New School where he studied composition with Jimmy Guiffre.

Then when he was in Berklee College of Music, he continued his classical studies with Emanuel Zambelli and afterwards with Margaret Chaloff. In the meantime he also continued his jazz education with Herb Pomeroy, Gary Burton, Mike Gibbs and Steve Swallow. He also studied conducting and classical composition with John Bavicchi, William Maloof and Geranimus Kacynskas. He was most influenced by his private studies with Charlie Banacos during that time period. While he was working full time at Atlantic Recording Corporation, he attended Juilliard School of Music where he studied advanced orchestration with Charles Jones.

He is currently very active as a freelance jazz pianist and composer in Los Angeles where he frequently does live performances and recordings.

He has toured as a jazz pianist in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey. He also attended jazz festivals in Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Morocco, Romania, and Scotland.

Yaltkaya is the recipient of the DRAMA LOGUE Award for “The Drunk” as “Best Musical Director-1996” for the Chandler Studios.

He is also a member of the BMI/Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, ASCAP, Local 47 and the Dramatists Guild.