Ayşe Özkan

I am a professional operatic mezzosoprano, an artistic/scientific PhD candidate in Opera Performance at İstanbul University State Conservatory researching somatic integration into classical vocal technique, a certified breathwork-bodywork trauma release practitioner, and a vocal instructor with more than 20 years of international artistic and pedagogical experience across Türkiye, the United States and Europe.

My musical training began at the age of 11 as a violin student at Bilkent University Conservatory alongside advanced music theory and solfege studies. I later completed my Bachelor of Music in Opera Performance at Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory and started my professional opera career at Ankara State Opera.

Following my first Young Artist Program in Florence, Italy, my artistic journey brought me to New York, Berlin and various opera houses and young artist programs across Europe and the United States. I performed with organizations including New York Lyric Opera, New York Vocal Productions, Opera North Resident Artist Program (U.S.A), İzmir State Opera and İstanbul State Opera.

Some of my performed roles include Carmen, Donna Elvira, Amneris, Cherubino, Angelina, Suor Angelica, Maddalena, Asteria, Zweite Dame, Barbarina, Tigrana, Lucretia and Preziosilla, alongside extensive recital, lied, concert and chorus repertoire including Verdi Requiem, Carmina Burana and Rossini Stabat Mater.

Throughout my artistic journey, I had the opportunity to study and receive coaching from internationally respected singers, vocal pedagogues and faculties connected to institutions such as The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music and Westminster Choir College, alongside distinguished opera professionals from Europe and the United States.
Some of the important teachers and pedagogues I had the chance to study and work with include Eralp Kıyıcı, Prof. Mustafa Yurdakul, Fügen Serbest, Prof. Güzin Gürel, Patricia McCaffrey, Prof. Laura Brooks Rice, Prof. Edith Bers, William Hicks, Klauss Salmann, Prof. David Jones, Chuck Hudson and John Norris.

I also participated actively in masterclasses and coachings with Prof. Julian Rodescu, Benita Valente, Prof. Helge Dorsch, Marco Baldieri, Prof. Antonio Marceno and Dolora Zajick.
Alongside my artistic career, I completed my Master of Music in Opera Performance at Başkent University State Conservatory with Erasmus studies at Musikhochschule Lübeck, focusing academically on dramatic and zwischenfach voices in opera. I am currently continuing my doctoral studies in Opera at İstanbul University State Conservatory.

Over the years, my work gradually evolved beyond traditional vocal pedagogy into a deeply somatic and interdisciplinary understanding of voice. My approach is grounded not only in conservatory education and professional stage experience, but also in years of personal embodied practice and certified somatic training.

After years of international performance experience, auditions, artistic struggles and deep work with my own voice, breath and body, I completed trainings in Biodynamic Breathwork Trauma Release, myofascial bodywork, active and passive meditation practices, expressive arts approaches and long-term embodiment practices including yoga and breathwork for performers.
My pedagogical background was also strongly influenced by medically-informed vocal pedagogy and healthy vocal function practices. Through years of training, performance experience and somatic work, I developed a deep understanding of tension-related vocal challenges, sustainable vocal coordination and recovery-oriented vocal practices for singers experiencing chronic tension, vocal fatigue or inefficient vocal habits.

My artistic work has also been recognized through awards in national and international opera competitions, including the Darclée Foundation Prize at the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition and 1st Prize at the Ankara Voice Association National Vocal Competition.
More important than achievements alone, I believe what allows me to guide singers today is that I have also experienced rejection, artistic uncertainty, vocal struggles and the emotional realities of a professional performing life myself. These experiences became an essential part of both my artistic and pedagogical journey, allowing me to approach my students not only with technical knowledge, but also with empathy, presence and a deeper understanding of the challenges that artistic growth and vocal development can bring. I believe such understanding is fundamental for sustainable artistic and personal growth.

My approach to singing is interdisciplinary, somatic and deeply embodiment-oriented.

I believe that the body already knows how to sing. My role as a teacher is not to force your voice into rigid shapes, but to help release unnecessary tension patterns and reconnect you with breath, resonance, embodiment and authentic vocal expression.

Technical areas we may work on include:

healthy vocal coordination and sustainable vocal functioning,

smooth register transitions, passaggio work and register blending,

vocal fold closure, laryngeal tilt, efficient breath-flow and  coordination,

tension release for freer resonance and fuller breath capacity,

jaw-tongue separation and releasing unnecessary throat tension patterns,

legato line, even vibrato and clear diction,

working with resonators and vocal color exploration,

flexibility, agility and coloratura-based exercises,

mixing and belting for contemporary styles,

posture and alignment through embodied awareness rather than rigid positioning,

interpretation, musicality and vocal acting,

and developing sensory awareness instead of over-controlling or forcing the sound.

In addition to technical vocal training, I also work with the voice as a deeply embodied expressive instrument. Depending on the needs of the student, sessions may integrate somatic breathwork, movement-based tension release practices, meditation, expressive arts approaches and guided vocal exploration practices that support embodiment, nervous system regulation, emotional expression and creative freedom.

My lessons integrate:

classical vocal technique,

somatic breathwork and body awareness,

movement and nervous system regulation,

resonance and embodiment practices,

expressive exploration,

meditation-based awareness practices,

and professional performance coaching.

While my work is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment, my approach can be highly supportive for singers seeking healthier coordination, body awareness, tension release and more sustainable vocal use alongside appropriate medical guidance when necessary.

My classes may be especially supportive for you if:

you experience chronic tension, jaw/tongue tightness or breath restriction while singing,

you struggle with performance anxiety, audition stress or stage fright,

you feel disconnected from emotional expression while performing,

you are a beginner seeking a healthy and conscious technical foundation,

you are a professional singer looking for somatic breathwork-bodywork support alongside your vocal studies,

or you are interested in exploring the relationship between voice, breath, body and creativity in a deeper and more embodied way.

I also work with singers from different musical backgrounds including musical theatre, jazz, folk and singer-songwriter traditions.

My aim is to help you build not only a stronger singing voice, but also a more embodied, expressive, authentic and sustainable relationship with your instrument and yourself.

Looking forward to meeting and working with you,

Ayşe