Ela Talay Earns the Right to Study at the Royal Music Schools

Despite being only 18 years old, internationally acclaimed harpist Ela Talay has secured a place at the Royal Northern College of Music, a conservatory affiliated with the Royal Music Schools in England.

Ela Talay, who lives in the Güzelbahçe district of İzmir, discovered her passion for music at the age of four. Encouraged by her family, she joined a children’s choir in Bodrum, which sparked her interest in instruments beyond just singing. However, the real turning point in her musical journey came from an animated film.

Talay recalls being mesmerized by a scene in The Aristocats, where a cat was playing the harp, and how it influenced her to take up the instrument:

“I love cats. In one scene, a cat was playing the harp, and I was deeply fascinated by its grandeur. As a small child, that was the moment I decided to play the harp.”

As her passion for the harp grew, Ela Talay achieved remarkable success in numerous international competitions: 1st Place – 12th World Open Online Music Competition, 1st Place – CAKA Online Music Competition, 2nd Place – International Slovenia Harp Association Competition, 2nd Place – 1st International Harpademia Celtic Harp Competition and 1st Place – Hong Kong Harp Festival 2024 – Lily Laskine Games Harp Triathlon.

With these outstanding achievements, she successfully passed the entrance exam for the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Continuing her music education in a more comprehensive environment, Talay and her family moved to İzmir, where she began her harp training as a student at Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory. She also pursued piano and vocal training at the Arkas Science and Art Center.

Expressing her excitement about continuing her studies in England, the young musician stated:”I have always wanted to study music abroad. Passing this exam helped me achieve my goal. I will be in Manchester for the next four years, where I will have the opportunity to work with the highly esteemed harpist Anne-Marie O’Farrell. I want to make a difference and share my music both at home and internationally.”

Talay emphasized that discipline and hard work played a crucial role in her success. She also expressed her desire to include both Western Classical and Turkish music in her repertoire: “I want to improve myself in both fields. I have been working on many pieces from Şirin Pancaroğlu’s Turkish Harp Sheet Music Collection project. These works have significantly contributed to my journey of learning Turkish music.”

Despite her young age, Ela Talay has already made a name for herself on the international stage. She is determined to continue her journey, represent Turkey with her music, and further advance her artistry in the world of harp.