Who is Serkan Hakki?
From taking the sound of clarinet out of the box,
to "a fusion between jazz and Middle Eastern music" as The Guardian said about his music, Serkan is considered one of the most promising pioneers of the clarinet nowadays.
An Istanbul-based Syrian-Turkish clarinetist and music producer who was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria, before moving to Turkey to pursue his musical career.
He began studying piano at the age of fourteen before eventually transitioning to the clarinet.
His unique sound on the clarinet is characterized by his ability to blend Middle Eastern music styles with Western styles such as jazz, electronic, and world music.
Serkan Hakki is a rising star among clarinet players worldwide, with a remarkable online presence of over 45 million views on social media and 130 million streams on all digital platforms.
Academically speaking, Serkan completed his bachelor's degree at Marmara University's Department of Film and Television before continuing to major in sound and music production for media and film productions.
Later on, he received a scholarship to attend an intensive program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he further developed his skills.
As a media composer, Serkan has composed and arranged soundtracks for more than ten documentaries and short films for well-known TV channels such as Al Jazeera, TRT, and many Arabic channels in Turkey.
Apart from his career as a clarinet player, Serkan is also well-known in the Turkish music industry for directing and arranging many musical projects with some of the most prominent Middle Eastern singers and musicians.
In 2021, Serkan worked on the "In The Studio Project," where he had the innovative idea of bringing independent musicians from all around the world together in a music community. He believes that this project will revolutionize the way people listen to and interact with music, allowing them to enjoy live performances via headphones in the studio.
In 2015, he was awarded first place at the Istanbul International Clarinet Festival, a testament to his outstanding musicianship and dedication to his craft.