SAVT is an improvisation trio based in Istanbul and Strasbourg. The trio consists of tanbur by Merve Salgar, classical kemenche by Elif Canfeza Gündüz, and violoncello by Zeynep Ayşe Hatipoğlu. Since their foundation in 2015, the trio has formed a repertoire bringing together improvisation and contemporary written music. SAVT seeks new ways to create a unique musical language that expands the turkish makam music taksim tradition and encourage new music composition for traditional instruments.
Born in 1990 in Istanbul, Turkey, Merve Salgar started studying music at Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music Conservatory (ITU TMDK) in 2004. During her studies at the Conservatory, which lasted for seven years, she studied tanbur (turkish long-necked lute) with Sadun Aksüt. Between 2008 and 2011 she worked as a tanbur player at TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation). In 2011, she moved to Strasbourg, France to pursue her studies. She graduated in 2016 with a master’s degree from the University of Strasbourg. She is currently continuing her PhD studies in musicology (Associated research units Contemporary approach on artistic creation and process) at University of Strasbourg. Though she performs a lot ottoman/turkish music, she always experiments with new sounds and continues to explore improvised music. She currently performs with SAVT, Karmanota, Sousta Politiki.
Born in Istanbul, Elif Canfezâ Gündüz graduated from the classical kemenche class of 2016 mentored by Ms. Neva Özgen at the Musical Performance Department of Istanbul Technical University, Turkish Music Conservatory. She has been a guest performer at the Istanbul State Ensemble of Turkish Music Research and Performance. Furthermore, she was entitled to receive an Achievement Award in the classical kemenche category of the Young Musical Performers Competition held by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As one of the crreators of the promising music groups called ”Arfana”, ”Şimdilik Trio” and ”Savt”, she continues to record albums with them. Arfana’s album called Anatolian Folk-Jazz Impressions was released in November 2017, by Kalan Music. Till now, Elif Canfezâ Gündüz has performed numerous concerts—both solo and in-group—and delivered seminars about the Turkish Maqam in Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Denmark, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, Belgium, Macedonia, and in Norway.
Zeynep Ayşe Hatipoğlu is a cellist, composer and improviser based in Istanbul. Her works include instrumental and electroacustic compositions as well as interdisciplinary collaborations. She studied music in the cello department at the State Conservatory of Istanbul University. Later she studied at the State Conservatory for Turkish Music at Istanbul Technical University (ITU TMDK), where she had graduated with double B.A. degrees from Cello Performance and Composition departments. During her studies, she studied cello performance with Tayfur Çaglayansu, Cenk Öztürk, Gülyar Balcı, and composition with Oguzhan Balcı. After she received her Master degree from ITU TMDK Music Theory and Composition department. In 2019, she was a scholarship resident at the Field Kitchen Academy/Silence with the Consent of Sound at Gutshaus Wüsten Buchloz in Berlin and was a member at One beat Istanbul in 2016. Her previous residence and masterclasses include the Visby Composers Center (Gotland, 2016), a masterclass with cellist Alexander Baillie at the 6th International Gümüslük Classical Music Festival in Eklisia Summer Music School (Bodrum, 2009) and cellist Peter Bruns AIMA Ayvalik Masterclass with the International Academy of Music (Gümüslük, 2009). Her compositions performed in various festivals, some of which were ‘Journey of Sound’ (Sesin Yolculugu) Young Composer’s Festival (2012, 2013, 2014, 2017) and ‘A Corner In The World Performing Arts Festival’ in 2017. Between 2012 and 2015, she joined the Chamber Music Orchestra of Bakirköy Municipality as a full-time cellist and was a member of the Hoca Nasreddin free improvisation ensemble between 2017 and 2020. Currently, she is a research assistant in the ITU TMDK Department of Composition and continuing her Ph.D. studies at the cello performance department at ITU Center for Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM). Besides her compositional works, she is actively performing with an improvisation trio SAVT, Klank.ist ensemble and HEYA Sound Project.