Raised in Miami and Istanbul, Begum Calimli was drawn to spending as much time as possible performing, composing, and teaching. Currently freelancing for Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra and working as a Teaching Assistant at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory.
Begum Calimli is a classically trained violinist born in Istanbul on November 4, 1988. She began her music education at the age of six, studying violin and piano. At the age of ten, she was admitted to the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory, where she studied with Prof. Resit Nuri Iyicil and later graduated from the class of Prof. Pelin Halkaci Akin in 2009.
While at the conservatory, she participated in various workshops and masterclasses with renowned musicians, including David Kim, Dora Schwarzberg, Pavel Vernikov, Mintcho Mintchev, Pierre Amoyal, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Vadim Gluzman, Stephanie Baer, Ida Bieler, Dominico Nordio, Lukas David, and Itzhak Rashkovsky.
Begum has performed extensively in America and Europe as an orchestral player with conductors and soloists such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Vadim Repin, Daniel Hope, Nemanja Radulovic, Lang Lang, Vadim Gluzman, Hilary Hahn, Angela Gheorghiu, Maxim Vengerov, Rudolf Buchbinder, Freddy Kempf, Isabelle Faust, Branford Marsalis, Ryan McAdams, Martin Grubinger, Viktoria Mullova, Sarah Chang, Katia & Marielle Labèque, Isabelle van Keulen, Sascha Goetzel, Ludovic Morlot, Gurer Aykal, Julian Rachlin, Thomas Hampson, Michel Camilo, Arcadi Volodos, İdil Biret, Fazıl Say, and Juilliard String Quartet.
Between 2010-2015, Begum pursued her career in Miami, where she studied at the Florida International University School of Music with Prof. Robert Davidovici. During her time in Miami, she served as an Acting Assistant Principal Violinist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and as a section violinist with the Florida Grand Opera, The Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Florida Symphony, and Dominican Republic National Symphony Orchestra. Currently, during the concert season, Begum performs as a member of 1st Violin Tutti with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul.
Aside from her achievements as a violinist, Begum is also a passionate educator. In 2011, she received her Pedagogical Education Program Certificate for Early Childhood Music Education from Marmara University. She also participated in the 8th Starling-Delay Symposium on Violin Studies at the Juilliard School of Music in 2015. Currently, she teaches as a Teaching Assistant at the MSFAU Istanbul State Conservatory during the academic year.
Begum is also a children's book author. Her first book, "Nanuk and Pati Sonatı," focuses on the climate crisis and aims to raise awareness among children about the importance of protecting the environment through music.
Since 2019, Begum has been actively involved in the world of visual arts, collaborating with visual artists on sound compositions and installations. Her work in this field has been showcased in different exhibitions and events. She has collaborated with artists such as Cengiz Tekin, Mehmet Ali Boran, and Murat Germen, creating three sound installations that were exhibited in Istanbul. In 2021, Begum participated in contemporary art programs under the mentorship of Kevser Güler at Misar Art and Tayfun Erdoğmuş at Loading Art Space. Her involvement in the visual arts community led her to participate in the Work and Research Program of the 17th Istanbul Biennial in 2021 - 2022, where she worked with the visual artist Hale Tenger.
Begum has recently been participating in the "Acting: An Introduction to Stanislavski and the Method” at UAL: Central Saint Martins in London, where she has developed a keen interest in exploring how musicians can effectively communicate emotions through their performances. In pursuit of this topic, she has been studying the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavski, and has been particularly interested in the methods and techniques that can be applied to musical performance. Overall, she is excited to continue exploring the intersection between music and performance arts, and to apply the insights and techniques she has learned to create captivating and emotionally resonant musical experiences for audiences.
Begum's work covers not only the field of music but also the field of youth and community orchestras. She is currently a board member of the World Federations of Amateur Orchestras, supported by the European Music Council.