“Hannabach strings sound very natural. The tone quality is so solid and full bodied which fulfills the performer’s aural expectations. I feel so confident being on stage when I am using Hannabach strings that fits to many styles of music.”
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sönmezler
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sönmezler has earned his Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastern Mediterranean University in Guitar performance in the first place with High-Honors, a Master of Music Degree in Guitar performance from the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University, a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Arizona School of Music, and appointed to the position of “Assistant Professor” by the Girne American University in Cyprus.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sönmezler is the chair of the Music Teaching Department at the Girne American University. He is from Cyprus, who was born in 1983. He became acquainted with the classical music at the age of five and began to play classical guitar professionally at the age of seventeen. He participated at the Kammermusik Festival and Summer Academy in Stift Rein, Austria, at the Cortona Contemporary Music Festival in Camucia/Cortona, Italy, at the SoundSCAPE Festival in Maccagno, Italy, at the 2nd Tucson Spanish and Flamenco Festival in Tucson, AZ, USA, at the 1st and 2nd Tucson International Guitar Festivals in Tucson, AZ, USA, at the 17th North Cyprus International Bellapais Music Festival in Kyrenia, Cyprus, at the Nicosia Old Town Classical, Jazz, and World Music Festival in Nicosia, Cyprus, and also given concerts at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey and at the Anatolian University National Conservatory in Eskisehir, Turkey. Assist. Prof. Dr. Sönmezler was commissioned from the Full-Bright Commission U.S.A to constitute a ''Cyprus Violin and Guitar Duo'' with the Cypriot violinist Paris Hadjipanayi where they have given concerts throughout Cyprus. He was one of the organizers of the First International Tucson Guitar Festival held at the University of Arizona School of Music in November 2009.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sönmezler has given the world premiers of the compositions of such composers including Mark Zanter "Character Pieces for Guitar", Luca Vanneschi "Quattro Piccolli Pezzi Blu", and David S. Lefkowitz "(Sur-)Real (Cine-) Music I: The Chase Through Escher's Metamorphosen." Famous American composer John A.Carollo dedicated a solo classical guitar piece for Assist. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Sönmezler called Fantasia and semi-Passacaglia for guitar.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sönmezler is the recipient of competitive scholarships, awards and certificates including: the Eastern Mediterranean University success scholarship granted throughout the Bachelor’s degree program, six High-Honor certificates earned at the Eastern Mediterranean University Department of Music, the certificate of recognition for successfully passing the grades 8 of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), a diploma for successful chamber music and solo performances at the Kammermusik Festival, a full scholarship at the Kammermusik Festival, a plaquette and certificate for achieving the highest Cumulative GPA in the class of 2005 at the EMU Department of Music, the Peabody Merit-Based scholarship, a success and Doctorate scholarship from the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Booher Memorial Scholarship, a Graduate Teaching Assistantship at the University of Arizona School of Music and Steve Vai Guitar Techniques Specialist Certificate from the Berklee College of Music.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Sönmezler has appeared several times on BRT 1 and BRT 2 televisions of Cyprus and in various newspapers and magazines including: Zoom Magazine, Passatempo Magazine, Cyprus Newspaper, Yeni Duzen Newspaper, Havadis Newspaper, Vatan Newspaper, Afrika Newspaper, and Star Kibrisli Newspaper. He plays with Jeroen Hilhorst 2006 model concert classical guitar.
