Atilla ENGIN

Percussionist, composer, arranger, conductor, educator,Multicultural-recording artist with 14 Albums and countless cultural projects behind.Atilla is one of the best known Fusion Jazz musicians from Turkey on the EuropeanFusion-Jazz Scene. He has helped build bridges between eastern and western musiccultures; in particular, between Anatolia and the rest of the world.

Besides being performer and recording artist, he has also been a top-notch educator and the motivator for years at The Copenhagen Jazz Conservatory.

He started this distinctive state-run conservatory with other world-renowned artists, such as Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, Ed Thigpen, Horace Parlan, Kenny Drew, where he shared his musical experiences,knowledge and wisdom with his dedicated students.

He received Grants from Danish State for years for his cultural activities - including one of Atilla's biggest success projects - him and his Copenhagen Royal Jazz Conservatory Orchestra was sent to Turkey by the Danish Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education - in cooperation with Turkish Radio Television and the Turkish Ministry of Culture. He, then, toured with his college students in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir - giving concerts at several universities such as Bilkent, Hacettepe University. His last concert was at the Ataturk Culture Center in Istanbul, where Istanbul Radio Big Band and Copenhagen Jazz Conservatory student Band performed together, conducted by Atilla.

Atilla has, specially, arranged Turkish Folk Songs and adapted them to the Big Band style for this amazing project. Atilla and his Atilla Engin Group were sent to Turkey by Danish State in conjunction with The European Music year 1985.

He was chosen as The composer of the year in Denmark in 1985, and commissioned to write the opening act for the biggest rock festival event in Europe, Roskilde Festival.

His Group recorded/broadcasted with Royal Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Entertainment,) where they played Turkish folk songs and Atilla's original compositions arranged by Atilla himself.

In 1987 Atilla's student big band TYRKIS won the first-price at Big Band Festival in Dortmund/Germany.

He has also recorded and released two albums for/with Turkish kids in Denmark.

He played with Zakir Hussein, Trilok Gurtu, Airto Moreira, Ed Thigpen, Adam Nussbaum, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, Nana Vasconzelos, Danny Gottlieb, Butch Lacy and more...

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