Turkish composer Yigitcan Eryaman wrestles with Minnesota winter in new work

In its eighth year, the Cedar Commissions is continuing strong as a leading program for emerging Twin Cities musicians. This year will feature a work by composer Yigitcan Eryaman, whose piece will tackle the experience of Minnesota's seasons through the senses of a Turkish man.

The Cedar Commissions program is funded by the Jerome Foundation and gives artists the funding and mentorship to create about 30 minutes of new music. Eryaman and his fellow music makers will soon be included in a list of past Cedar Commissions artists who feature names such as Dessa, Aby Wolf, Adam Levy and Maria Isa.

Besides being an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota's Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and a composer, Eryaman also is a guitarist and songwriter. His relationship with music began 25 years ago, when he began training in classical guitar, studying the works of Fransico Tarrega, Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Heitor Villa-Lobos and other Spanish and Latin classical guitar composers. Eryaman also studied the music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and modern composers to enrich his musical knowledge and skill.

"Even though classical guitar is not the traditional instrument of my home country, it allows me to deliver my music to the listeners with a unique musical touch," Eryaman says. "In addition, the ability to use basic harmony with classical guitar helps me to add polyphonic aspects to my compositions."

With the help of Stephen Spaise, Eryaman's new piece will be sure to bring together many polyphonic aspects on a variety of traditional Middle East drums: the davul, daf and the darbuka, all of which are commonly used in Turkish music. It also will include Greg Herriges on bouzouki, traditionally a Greek instrument, and David Stenshoel on violin.

Eryaman's piece explores the changes, survival tactics and adaptations that were necessary for him to tolerate the past five years since moving to Minnesota from Turkey. While the big themes are traversed, the little ones are not forgotten.

"It's also about simple things such as things I loved and hated, things that fascinated me, depressed me, scared me in Minnesota," he says. "It's also about how the weather somehow always found a place at the center of my story."

Despite there being a few thousand Turkish-Americans living in Minnesota, Eryaman doesn't believe Turkish music is well-represented in the Twin Cities music scene. That's what makes his Cedar Commissions piece stand out from the rest.

"I believe my compositions have some Turkish elements which are less commonly encountered in the Minnesotan musical 'climate,'" he says.

He frequently uses common Turkish melodies and time signatures and involves instruments often heard in Turkish, Balkan and Middle Eastern music, in addition to his classical guitar. While Eryaman is writing and composing, he keeps his personal perspective in mind: partly American but mostly Turkish. Eryaman's friend Sarah Larsson, a member of the Nightingale trio, told him about the Cedar Commissions program. Eryaman thought it was a great opportunity to start a new and exciting project.

"I think the most important aspect is composing around a theme," he says. "It challenged me as an artist to not only create a new piece, but also to tie all components to a common musical theme."

Eryaman's piece premieres Feb. 2 at the Cedar Cultural Center, the only night it will be performed and the second night of the Cedar Commissions. Both nights are all ages, seated shows. Single-show and two-show tickets can be found on the Cedar's website.