Biography
Born on February, 1981 in St. Petersburg, the artist began her cello and piano education at the Tashkent National Uspensky Conservatory when she was just six years old. In 1994, she moved to Ankara, Türkiye, where she continued her high school education at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts at Bilkent University. During this time, she also continued her cello lessons with Kara Aliyev and graduated from high school in 1998.
During that same year, she received an honor at the Young Talents Competition held in Bucharest in May and joined the Mediterranean Youth Orchestra in July, representing Türkiye.
In September 1998, she took the entrance exam for the Strasbourg State Conservatory in France and was accepted into the Undergraduate Program in Jean Deplace's class. Throughout her education there, she served as the cello group conductor for the Conservatory Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she pursued Contemporary Music studies with renowned composers such as Armand Angster, Craig Goodman, Pascal Dusapin, Ivan Fedele, Luis De Pablo, Ahmed Essyad, and Thierry De Mey.
In 1999, she secured second place in the Young Commentators competition held at Ankara Bilkent University. That same year, she became a finalist in the '8eme Concours de Jeunes Interpretes' competition held in Lille, France. She completed her Chamber Music studies in 2000 and graduated from the Cello Undergraduate Program in 2001, earning the prestigious Medaille d'Or (Gold Medal).
Throughout her career, she collaborated with renowned cellists such as Gustav Rivinius, Roland Pidoux, Luis Claret, and Marc Coopey.
As a soloist, she took part in Ahmed Essyad's opera 'Heloise et Abelard,' which had its world premiere at the Paris Chatelet. She was also responsible for the first interpretations and recordings of many works by young generation Italian composers.
In 2002, she graduated from the Cello Master Program, earning first place as an honor student. The following year, she showcased her talent by performing Eugene Ysaye's 'Poeme Nocturne,' a piece written for violin, cello, and orchestra, in Strasbourg, France. During the same year, she participated in the 'Shining Stars' concert band organized by 'İŞSANAT' in Istanbul, Türkiye.
In 2004, she embarked on a full-time music career as a cellist with the Antalya State Opera Orchestra. Since then, she has given solo concerts with the orchestra and has been a regular participant in the 'Young Soloists' concert series organized by the Antalya State Opera and Ballet.
Her accomplishments continued as she performed as a soloist with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of Türkiye in Ankara in May 2005. Over the years, she graced the stages of various concert halls, including Bilkent University Concert Hall, Akdeniz University Concert Hall, Konya Selcuk University Concert Hall, Ankara Contemporary Arts Concert Hall, Izmir Art Concert Hall, and Aksanat Concert Hall between 2006 and 2008.
Veronika Yeliz Efe, in addition to her work as a lecturer at the Mediterranean University of Antalya State Conservatory from 2004 to 2010, continues to teach at the Music Faculty of the same university. She wears multiple hats in the music world: she serves as the music director of the Venera Ensemble, which regularly performs concerts across various parts and regions of Türkiye. Furthermore, she is the creative force behind the project 'Cello Stars,' which encompasses all music and other performing sections of opera and ballet, accompanied by a cello orchestra. This project has graced the stage of the Antalya State Opera 12 times, featuring 5 different programs. Veronika Yeliz Efe also takes charge of all arrangements related to performances and displays within the institution.
In 2010, Veronika Yeliz Efe was appointed as the 'Principal Cello' artist, and she currently dedicates herself to being a full-time cello artist at the Antalya State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye.
