Göksel Yilmaz Ensemble
Drawing on a repertoire of Turkish, Arabic and Kurdish songs arranged with Western influences, such as Jazz, blues and classical music, the Göksel Yılmaz Ensemble offers a fresh take on the multi-ethnic texture of the Anatolian musical landscape. The ensemble is also renowned for its authentic and approachable interpretation of traditional music, achieved through rhythmic expression and delicate sensitivity.
Themes and Repertoire
With their live performances, they invite listeners on a musical journey through life; from yearning to uprising, from deep sorrow and melancholy to intense love and joy. Songs from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Kurdistan guide the audience on this journey. Their repertoire also includes compositions by Göksel Yılmaz, the ensemble’s founder and lead artist.
Göksel Yilmaz
Göksel was born in the Netherlands, where he studied classical guitar at the Conservatory of Enschede. He spent part of his youth in Antakya, where his parents are from. This ancient city, formerly known as Antioch, is situated in an Arab region in southern Turkey. Göksel thus grew up with a close connection to the Dutch, Turkish, and Arab languages, cultures, and music.
Stages and Albums
Since its foundation in 2006, the ensemble has released two albums and performed at numerous festivals, theatres, music halls and TV and radio programmes in the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany, and Cyprus. They have played at major world music festivals such as the annual Music Meeting in Nijmegen (NL) and the Dunya Festival in Rotterdam, as well as internationally renowned recognised concert halls, including RASA in Utrecht and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
Their debut album, ‘Gezgin’ (The Traveller), which is mainly in Turkish, was released in the Netherlands in 2011. Their second album, Kan Zaman (There Was a Time, 2016/18), is entirely in Arabic. This compilation is based on old cassette letters of Göksel’s relatives singing traditional Arabic songs. With elegant arrangements by Yılmaz, the album pays tribute to the language and musical culture of the Arab minority in Turkey. As Charlie Crooijmans, music reviewer for the Dutch TV show Vrije Geluiden, puts it:
The ensemble takes the Arabic songs from the cassettes and gives them a contemporary yet nostalgic twist. It is a wonderful call to sing together more often.
Göksel Yılmaz Ensemble
- Göksel Yılmaz: vocals, guitar, saz and oud
- Anne Bakker: violin
- Jacobus Thiele: percussion
- Peter Rikkers: double bass
- Funda Yılmaz: vocals
Running projects
2026 Preparations for a tribute show about the Lebanese singer Fairuz, together with the dynamic Dutch string quartet North Sea String Quartet.
Discography
2025 “Geboortegrond” (Solo album-Göksel Yilmaz & friends) June, The Netherlands.
2018 “Kan Zaman” (There was a time), re-edition with Kalan Music, March, Turkey.
2016 “Kan Zaman” (There was a time), release album, March, The Netherlands.
2011 “Gezgin” (The Traveller), debut album, release, December, The Netherlands.
Highlights concerts and tours
2025 Album release concert “Geboortegrond”, Beauforthuis Austerlitz.
“Göksel & Funda Yilmaz” Concerts in Turkey in the cities of Mersin, İstanbul, İzmir and Antakya
2024 Open Vensters, Chassé Theater Breda
Turkey Support Tour for the victims of the earthquake. Concerts in Turkey in the cities of Ankara, Diyarbakır, Adıyaman, Maraş, and Antakya.
2023 Cultural Lint Festival, Museum W, Weert
Musica Sacra Festival, Cellebroederskapel, Maastricht
Turkey Support Tour for the victims of the earthquake. Concerts in Turkey in the cities of İzmir, Mersin, and Antakya.
2022 GYE & Matangi Quartet, Schouwburg Hengelo
Amersfoort World Jazz festival, Observant Amersfoort
GYE meets Matangi Quartet, Beauforthuis Austerlit
2021 Heerenhuyskamerconcerten, Rotterdam
Twents Gitaarfestival, Enschede
2020 Kom Erbij, Balkonscenes concerts, Enschede and Deventer
Göksel Yilmaz Ensemble & Anass Habib, Wereldlokaal Zutphen
2019 Concord Resort, Cyprus.
Showcase concert InJazz Festival, Rotterdam.
Embassy Festival, The Hague.
TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht.
Vondelpark Open Air Theater, Amsterdam
Spring Tour Turkey: Istanbul, Izmir, Adana, Antakya.
2018 Autumn Turkey Tour: Adana, Mersin, Antakya.
De X, multicultural stage for world music, Leiden.
2017 Summer Turkey Tour: Izmir, Didim, Mersin, Adana, Anatkya, Samandag.
Folk Herbst Festival, Plauen, Germany.
Club Biberr, Stadschouwburg (City Theater), Utrecht.
2016 Indonesia Tour: Jakarta, Surakarta, Yogyakarta.
Showcase concert, Dutch Delta Sounds, Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam.
2015 Buskers Bern Street Music Festival, Switzerland.
Grachtenfestival, Amsterdam
2013/15 Dance project SILK
● Composition and arrangements for the dance show SILK, about the silk road, by the International Dance Theatre.
● Preparation and rehearsals with 11 dancers and choreographer Jan Linkens.
● 40 performances in the Netherlands between November 2013 -April 2014.
● A 10-day tour in Indonesia
● Continued collaboration with IDT with a youth-version of SILK, called “Si-Lin” in various Dutch theaters.
2013 Café Istanbul, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht.
2012 Tour in Istanbul, Turkey.
TV-Performance, “Vrije geluiden”, National Dutch Television, Nederland 1
Art Base-Bruxelles, Brussels.
Concert with master trumpet player Eric Vloeimans, Beauforthuis, Austerlitz
Europa Festival, RASA, Utrecht.
Antakya Kültür Merkezi, Antakya, Turkey.
2011 Showcaseconcert, Dag van de Wereldmuziek, Grounds, Rotterdam.
Nelson Mandela Festival, Rotterdam.
Theater De Regentes, The Hague.
2010 Concert with master guitarist Jan Akkerman, Beauforthuis, Austerlitz
2009 International Music Meeting Festival, Nijmegen.
Festival Dunya, Rotterdam.
Showcase concert, Day of World Music, RASA, Utrecht.
2008 New year’s concert with the Valerius Ensemble, Enschede, The Netherlands. (For this occasion, Göksel arranged two of his own pieces for string quartet and clarinet).
Houtfestival, Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Theater De Spiegel, Zwolle.
2007 International Music Meeting Festival, Nijmegen.
Sterrenfestival, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands.
Concert, Grote Kerk, Enschede.
Selection of reviews
About the album “Geboortegrond”
● “Geboortegrond, a sublime, highly personal album by an unjustly underrated musician” New Folk Sounds, 2025, by Marius Roeting
● “Yilmaz remains true to his music and composes as he sees fit. And that’s a good thing, because it’s what makes Geboortegrond such a special and personal album!” Musicframes.com, 2025, by Mattie Poels
About the album “Kan Zaman”
● “The performance on this album – both instrumentally and vocally – is of a very high level. Highly recommended!” Mixed World Music Magazine, April 2016, by Ton Maas
● “The music on ‘Kan Zaman’ comes from the heart, from countries where music is close to the people. Where people sing songs to each other, on the street or at the café. This natural and organic way of making music is well understood
by Göksel Yilmaz as we can hear on ‘Kan Zaman’!” Musicframes.com, April 2016, by Mattie Poels
· The ensemble takes the Arabic songs from the cassette and gives its own contemporary, yet nostalgic twist. It is a wonderful plea to sing more together.”Vrije Geluiden, April 2016, by Charlie Crooijmans.
● “Sublime music that gets even more beautiful and more beautiful. Melancholic, lyrical, beautiful, beautiful.” Moors Magazine, by Holly Moors.
● “And again, he has with his ensemble managed to deliver a charming, approachable and honest album.” New Folk Sounds, May 2016, by Marius Roeting.
About the album “Gezgin”
● “Beautiful, serene music” Radio 6-Mattie Poels, 2 February 2012.
● “Yilmaz’ dreamy sounds carry you to the Middle East” Fret Magazine-Rosanne de Boer, March/April 2012.
● “It’s a fine piece of chamber music with a strong Arabo-Turkish component” Mixed World Music Magazine, March 2012.
● “A more impressive debut album is unthinkable” Jazzenzo Jazz Magazine, 31 July 2012.
About the dance show SILK
● “The uplifting music of the Göksel Yilmaz Ensemble turns this dance show to something magical.” Theaterkrant, 4 stars, 12 January 2014.
● “Despite their literal place in the background they lift the piece to a higher level.”
Cultuurbewust, 4 stars, 30 January 2014.
● “Singer Yilmaz excites his musicians into unmatched expression of percussion, guitar, double bass and violin” Theaterkrant, 4 stars-K. Freriks, 21 December 2013.
● “The music, written by Yilmaz, inspires extremely and sometimes reminiscentof the music of the French double bass player and composer Renaud Garcia Fons.” Het Noord Hollands Dagblad-Nanska van de Laar, 21 november 2013.
● “The singing of Göksel Yilmaz is pleasing to the ear” Trouw-Sander Hiskemuller, November 2013.