Bilge Günaydın Quartet

Bilge Günaydın is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and singer-songwriter active on international stages. Her work spans small and large ensemble settings and reflects a musical language that brings together contemporary jazz, classical elements, and diverse cultural influences, alongside an expressive melodic approach.

Her projects have been presented at venues and festivals including The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Flushing Town Hall, Drom NYC, Shea Performing Arts Center (NJ), Carnegie Hall, Saint Peter’s Church NYC, Istanbul Jazz Festival, Akbank Jazz Festival, Composers Now Festival (NYC), Nardis Jazz Club (Istanbul), and Sibiu Jazz Festival (Romania), among others. Her debut album Daydreams (2020), released by Turkish label Ada Music and Japanese label Inpartmaint, received international recognition from All About Jazz, which described it as “an impressive first outing with charming compositions and melodic imagination.” Her second album, Sketches of Green (2022), featuring guitarist Cenk Erdoğan and bassist Ozan Musluoğlu, was released by Drom NYC and Innsbruck Records NYC. Released on Earth Day, the album reflects her connection to nature and landscape.
Günaydın has collaborated with ensembles including the BMI Jazz Orchestra, One More Once Big Band, and the Twin Cities Jazz Composers Orchestra, with her compositions performed in large ensemble contexts. She is a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop and the International Society of Jazz Composers (ISJAC), focusing on big band and orchestral composition.
She has presented her work at the ISJAC Symposium at Vanderbilt University, featuring the New Music for Large Ensemble series moderated by John Clayton and Mike Holober, and has received a commission from the New Jersey Composers Guild. Her recognitions include the IKSV Young Artist Fund (2025), the TIAM Studio Time Award (2025), and the Project 14C Artist Residency (2025).
Günaydın holds a Master of Music degree in jazz composition from William Paterson University, where she studied on a full scholarship through a graduate assistantship with Bill Charlap, Pete McGuinness, Ed Neumeister, and Steve Nelson. Alongside her performance career, she maintains an active teaching practice and continues to develop new work for both small and large ensemble formats, as well as original songs that expand her artistic voice.