Önder Focan Trio

Önder Focan graduated from Kadıköy Maarif College (Kadıköy Anatolian High School) and then from the Middle East Technical University. Together with his wife, Zuhal Focan, he founded a jazz club called Nardis in Galata Kuledibi in 2002.
He has received awards such as “Best Western Music Artist” from the Müjdat Gezen Art Center in 2000, “Crystal Seagull” from the Kadıköy Maarif College and Anatolian High School Alumni Association (KALİD in 2003, and “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the 6th International Jazz Festival of the Pamukkale Phil-harmonic Association in 2026.
As an instructor, he participated in IAJE (International Association of Jazz Teachers) seminars in 1999, 2000, and 2004. From 1996 to 1999, he taught Jazz Ensemble classes at Akademi İstanbul. From 2000-2005, he taught Harmony classes at the Müjdat Gezen Art Center. From 2003-2004, he taught Jazz Styles Analysis at Yıldız Technical University, and from 2006-2007, Jazz Guitar. In 2010, as the artistic director and coordinator of the Istanbul-Finland-Pori Music Network (IPMN), he facilitated the exchange of pro-fessional musicians, young musician candidates, and groups between the two cities. This project also sup-ported children in receiving jazz education and having the opportunity to perform on stage.
Since 1985, he has performed in Turkey and at many international jazz festivals in 35 different countries, releasing 15 CDs and one DVD. In 2022, his LP titled Aubergine (Eggplant) was released. Besides his own projects such as Funkbook, Standard a La Turc, and Swing a LaTurc, Önder Focan is a sideman in many jazz combos.
He has been the guitarist of the CRR Big Band since 2013.