Can Saraç
©️ Gregor Khuen Belasi
You became the winner of the ICMA Discovery Award for the year 2025, one of the most prestigious awards in the classical music world. How did this award make you feel?
First of all, I felt incredibly happy and privileged to be chosen among many talented young artists by so many esteemed professionals in the classical music world. I am very proud to be a part of the ICMA family whose members include the best classical musicians. It is also a great responsibility but I believe this exciting responsibility will be a driving force for future achievements.
How do you think the ICMA Discovery Award will benefit your career progression?
The ICMA Discovery Award, that I’m so proud of being the holder this year, is a prestigious milestone in the classical music industry. It provides invaluable recognition and visibility, opening doors to new opportunities at the international stage; it puts me in a spotlight, and this is very important for young artists. Being honored with this award not only reinforces my artistic journey but also connects me with a wider audience, esteemed mentors, and exciting collaborations. I believe it will significantly contribute to my career’s growth, allowing me to explore new projects, perform on distinguished stages, and further refine my musical voice.
Let’s talk about your education at Liechtenstein International Music Academy. How did you get into the academy? How does the education here affect your development?
Liechtenstein Musikakademie is a very prestigious organization and I was lucky to be admitted after I applied for it when I was 14, three and a half years ago, about the same time when I started my studies at Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. The Academy has helped me improve myself in many ways from a young age. The intensive study time the academy scholars spend there is priceless. Students get to work with great professors, interact and socialize with each other, practice as much as they want, and perform to an audience. Chamber music studies and concerts are huge opportunities for musical improvement. You can easily feel the musical growth at the end of each day while at the Academy. The time I spend at the Academy is the best and the most productive time of the year.
You have other awards besides the Discovery Award. What kind of work discipline have you established to achieve these and other prestigious awards at such a young age?
I’ve had a number of awards over the years, latest being Arturo Benedetti Michalengeli Award from Piano Academy Eppan in Italy, which I was the youngest ever recipient. Work discipline occurs by itself after a certain age or level. Goals become part of your life and the hours you put in come from that natural motivation. But at the same time, competitions force you to adapt to a new set of rules to study. The practice gets more intense, more frequent, and you become more demanding of yourself because you strive for perfection. You go for more challenging pieces to play, you add more and more to your repertoire, maybe because of competition rules or maybe because you want to try something else. It doesn’t always end with an award, which is perfectly normal due to a number of factors, but you always benefit from the discipline you impose upon yourself. Effective time management is the most important factor within this cycle. Study, motivation, and time management are linked to each other to bring success, and this idea is the core of my self-discipline.
Can Saraç
(c) Julian Konrad
Let’s talk about the night of the ICMA award ceremony. You will perform the last part of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 of Tchaikovsky with the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra. Can we get information from you about the concert and work?
Performing for a classical music audience is always a thrilling experience for me, but playing in an extraordinary venue like Tonhalle Düsseldorf makes it even more special and unforgettable. The ICMA Gala Concert is a celebration of artistry, and I am honored to take part in it, sharing the stage with maestro Vitali Alekseenok and the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker. Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is a work of immense passion and grandeur. Its final movement, with its fiery energy and great virtuosity, is deeply expressive for me. I believe its brilliance will resonate beautifully within the unique acoustics and extraordinary atmosphere of Tonhalle, making this an unforgettable evening. I am truly looking forward to this moment, both as a performer and as someone who deeply appreciates the power of music to inspire.
How does it feel to represent our country at the ICMA Award Ceremony night alongside Can Çakmur? Could you share your feelings with us?
Representing my country at the ICMA Award Ceremony alongside Can Çakmur is an incredible honor and an unforgettable experience. Çakmur is an inspiration for many young musicians in Turkey, including myself, and his achievements make us all proud. Sharing the stage with him on such a prestigious night makes me feel deeply grateful and happy. Performing Schubert’s Lebensstürme a piece filled with passion, intensity, and deep emotion perfectly reflects the excitement of this moment. I can’t wait to play that piece with him in Düsseldorf and celebrate this special night with the audience.
I read in your interviews that leaving your mark on the world is your biggest goal. How do you think the Discovery Award was a step towards this goal?
As I mentioned, these awards are a source of recognition. There may be someone somewhere who is the best musician the world has ever seen but if nobody knows about it, then it is all wasted. With recognition comes opportunities for concerts, festivals, media events, records, etc. It is then up to you to seize these opportunities and make something out of yourself. Discovery Award is very important in that sense, and I’d like to thank the Musikakademie in Liechtenstein for nominating me, leading music magazine in Turkey Andante for their support, and esteemed ICMA jury for their choice. Awards are also a source of pride but they come with a responsibility to keep getting better. The motivation comes with success, and this helps when you need to push yourself.
Can Saraç
©️ Gregor Khuen Belasi
Each award is a source of pride and creates a great sense of responsibility for the future. We would like to hear from you about your plans for the future.
The awards I’ve won and the achievement’s I’ve earned aren’t just a source of pride for me, my family, and those around me – they also come with a growing sense of responsibility for the future. Each one fuels my motivation and pushes me further. Every pianist I meet at competitions or masterclasses expands my worldview, making me see music from new perspectives. But I don’t measure growth solely by success and awards. Every festival where I connect with fellow musicians, every prestigious platform like ICMA, is an incredible opportunity for me to push my own limits further, realize my potential, and become a true part of the global music network.
With each success, I find myself looking back on the long hours of dedication, the sacrifices, and the relentless effort that brought me here. And when that hard work finally pays off, the sense of fulfillment is beyond words. For me, music isn’t just a profession, it’s life itself. That’s why every new award, every new milestone, isn’t just a recognition of what I’ve done. It’s a reason to harder aim higher, and keep striving for something greater.
My future is starting to take shape exactly this year. My dream of becoming a concert pianist remains my top priority and I’ll continue working tirelessly toward it.
But this is also a turning point I’m graduating from high school and stepping into university life, finally. Right now, my biggest goal is to study at a university where I can learn from a professor who will inspire me, challenge me, and guide me on my artistic journey. At the same time, I want to prepare for prestigious competitions, achieve meaningful success, and make my family, teachers, and country proud while taking solid steps in my career.
