Levent Gündüz, Tenor
Metin Kiper, Piano

Artist's Biography

Levent Gündüz started his music studies by playing piano and percussion. He began his vocal studies with Maestra Sabahat TEKEBAS at Izmir D.E. University State Conversatory. He began his career with “Nemorino” role (E’lisir D’amore/Donizetti) and “Tamino” role (Die Zauberflöte/Mozart) between 1996- 1999 at Izmir State Opera House. During the second year of his vocal studies, the tenor was choosen to sing “Tamino” role at Istanbul Opera House, and had big success.

Levent Gündüz graduated from the master degree of Vocal Studies in 2000 with the degree of “excellence”. He also developed his opera singing as an active participant of master classes with Maestra Leyla GENCER, Maestro William MATEUZZI and Maestro Placido DOMINGO.

Between 2000 and 2003 he sang “Belmonte”role (Entführung aus dem Serail/Mozart) with Austrian Soprano Eva LIND, at the Bosphorus International Opera Festival in Istanbul.

He began his European career with “Jacquino” role (Fidelio/ Beethoven) at Düsseldorff Oper am Rhein.

Levent Gündüz counts among the first Turkish finalists of Placido DOMINGO’s International OPERALIA contest in 2003 and participated at the concert with Maestro P. DOMINGO.

At the same year he was invited to sing “Nemorino” role (E’lisir D’amore/Donizetti) to Istanbul State Opera House. At 2003-2004 and the next season he sang Mozart Requiem at several opera houses.

Levent Gündüz sang “Alfredo” role (La Traviata/Verdi) in 2005 at the production of Zomeropera, Alden Biesen/ Belgium and worked with the stage director Frank van LAECKE(the wizard). The following year, in 2006, he was invited again to Zomeropera for “Rodolfo” role (La Boheme/Puccini) which is also directed by LAECKE. Levent Gündüz made two spectacular arena productions of Nabucco/Verdi as “Ismael” at Kölnarena/Germany-2007 and Vorst Nationaal/Belgium-2011 with the same stage director, Frank van LAECKE.

Levent Gündüz sang “Carlo VII” (Giovanna D’Arco/Verdi) and Verdi Requiem at Stuttgart Liederkranz,Germany in 2006 and 2007.

During his career, Levent Gündüz participated as a soloist tenor in many concerts at different countries like Australia (T.S.O. Opera Gala Concert), Switzerland (Orpheum Found. Mozart Concert), Belgium (Inspiratum Org. Concert-Zommeropera Opera Gala Concert – Hasselt Youth Symph. Orch. Concert), Holland (Netherlands Theatre Orch. Concertgebouw Gala Concert),etc.Levent Gündüz also sang several operetta roles during his career. He worked with international conductors such as H. WALLAT, H. GRIFFITHS, L. FROST, K. KESSELS, J.v.HESSEN, F. SANTI,O. RUDNER, R. BENZI, C.d.MARTINI, A.SAMOILA,W. HARRER, A. MULLER, H. ŞENSOY,R. GOKMEN, A. CEDRONE and etc. He is already working with Maestro Tulio Gagliardo VARAS and the vocal coach Sylvain SOURET and Antoine PALLOCK.

In 2009, Levent Gündüz started to sing the Spinto repertoire with the role “Maurizio” (Adriana Lecouvreur/Cilea) at the state opera house of Izmir.

The next year his debut in “Otello” role (Otello/Verdi)2010-2011 and the following season(2011-2012) his debut in “Calaf” role (Turandot/Puccini) at the Izmır State Opera House and at the International Opera Festival of Aspendos Arena-theater.In 2013 Levent Gündüz performed in four different opera houses of France as “Ismaele” in Nabucco by Verdi with regular soloists of the Arena di Verona like mezzosoprano Elena Gabouri and soprano France Dariz under Maestro N. Gusti.

In season 2012-2013 he sang “Otello” and “Calaf” at the state opera house of Izmir. He also sang the world premier of Tevfik Akbaslı’ s “The Magnificent Suleyman” as lead tenor “Grand Vizier Ibrahim”.

Levent Gündüz sings “Radames” (Aida/G.Verdi) at Izmir State Opera House and at the International Opera Festival of Aspendos Arena-theater in the season 2013- 2014. He participated as “Cavaradossi” (Tosca/G.Puccini) at Izmir State Opera House in the season 2014-2015 and participated in many concerts like first, second and third Vienna Ball concert at Asghabat under maestro W. HARRER with Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

Tenor Levent Gündüz participated as “Don Jose” (Carmen/G.Bizet) at Antalya State Opera House, “Cavaradossi” at Izmir Opera House, in Turkey. Tenor Levent Gündüz sang “Calaf” (Turandot/Puccini) and “Radames” (Aida/G.Verdi) for the XXXV. International Feodor Chaliapin Opera Festival premier performances at Tatar State Academic Opera, Kazan- Tataristan, 2017. The tenor sang President participated concerts at Baku, Gence and Nachcivan for the 100. Anniversary of Azerbaican Republic.

Levent Gündüz sang, “Turiddu” (Cavalleria Rusticana / Mascagni), “Don Alvaro” (La Forza del Destino/Verdi), Requiem / Verdi, “Eisenstein” (Die Fledermaus / Strauss), “Alfredo” (La Traviata/Verdi) roles at previous seasons for İzmir Opera house, “Don Jose” (Carmen/G.Bizet) for Antalya opera house and participated as a soloist for several concerts.

Levent Gündüz will be singing for the opening night of Baku Azerbaycan State Opera season at the opera of U.Hacibeyov “Koroglu” and as “Cavaradossi” (Tosca/G.Puccini) for the Kirgizistan Republic State Opera House.

The tenor has a wide Crossover repertoire and performing lots of concerts and participating in big crossover stage projects. He shares the stage with several Turkish pop singers, has a continuing production with another famous tenor Hakan Aysev and performing with international singers such as Le Divas.

Levent Gündüz’s first cover single “Vincero Perdero” is a start for the digital platforms.

METİN KİPER, Pianist:

The artist started to work as a piano instructor and correpetitor at Dokuz Eylul University Izmir State
Conservatory Piano Departmen GBt and Performing Arts Opera Department in 1996 and successfully
carried out this role until 2011. Notably,the artist has given numerous performances of Ludwig van
Beethovens 1st Piano Concerto,George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, and R.Schumanns Piano Concerto in
A minor with symphonic orchestras. In 2011, he started to work at the Antalya State Opera and Ballet
and has been continuing his role as Chief Correpetitor at the same institution since 2012.Apart from his
academic and artistic life, Metin Kiper worked as a correpetitor,orchestral arranger,pianist and conductor
in The Nifty Fifties”and “Superman”musicals of the İzmir Ozel Türk Koleji and worked as a consultant ot
the first Phaselis Art Festival held by the Kemer Tanıtım Vakfı(Kemer Promotion Foundation).
He still continues his duty as the Chief Correpetitor in Antalya State Opera and Ballet. Metin Kiper has a
rich opera and operette repertoire such as, Don Giovanni,Le nozze di Figaro,il barbiere di Siviglia, Lucia di
lammermoor, La traviata,Carmen, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Rigoletto, Prodana nevesta, il turco in
italia, Czardas furstin, Die lustige Witwe and etc. He already worked with orchestra directors such as,
Alexandre Samuel , İbrahim yazıcı ,Naci özgüç, Lorenzo Castriota, Hakan kalkan , Ömer Yöndem ,Bujor
Honic , Gaetsno Soliman , Serdar Yalçın , Tulio Gagliardo , Murat Cem Orhan , Zdravko Lazarov. After his
retirement from State Opera House, the pianist now working as a freelance accompanist and as a
concert pianist…

Due to the circumstances, the program might change, please check always the website