Defne Gultoprak wins the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2024! Defne performed a programme of Scarlatti - Sonata in D minor, K141, Ravel - Gaspard de la Nuit, Ondine and Chopin - Ballade no.4.
Defne was not the only RIAM student to take home a prize, Ella Nagy (piano) placed third and Adam Buttimer (Tuba) came in fourth.
Defne was awarded the prestigious Lucien and Maura Teissier Bursary for Pianists and the Fidelio Cup in RIAM, 2024. Some of her other recent awards include RIAM Piano Fest Chisholm Sonata Cup first prize (2024), Feis Ceoil, Huban Cup first prize (2024), Margaret O’ Hea Recital Cup first prize (2023), Italy, Concorso Pianistico Europeo Premio Speciale, first prize (2021) and Istanbul Pera International Piano Competition first prize (2017).
In 2016, Defne gave her first international recital in North Cyprus where she was invited to be part of 20th International Bellapais Music Festival and was also selected to be one of ten pianists to participate in Lang Lang’s Allianz Junior Music Camp Program in Warsaw.
In 2024, Defne was selected to be one of the five participants of the DIPC Young Pianists Programme. Defne has also been participating in masterclasses of world known pianists such as John O’Conor, Hilary Coates, Finghin Collins, Noriko Ogawa and Christopher Elton.
Defne's piano professor is Thérèse Fahy
