Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Melisa Yıldırım – an esteemed guest of our Uncovering Music IDs podcast – performs her original composition ‘Velvet’ on a 5-string Anatolian kamancha made of gourd, live at the Genelec Artist Room in Helsinki. Watch Melisa’s Artist Room interview with Genelec: youtu.be/muMhbWMudd4
An acclaimed kamancha player and composer, Melisa brings a fresh voice to this ancient instrument through her distinctive musical language. Velvet, composed in the evocative Nikriz scale, blends tradition with contemporary sensibilities – its rich, resonant tones revealing new textures and possibilities of the kamancha.
The Kamancha/Kemane/Kamancheh is one of the world’s oldest string instruments, with over 3000 years of history. Variants of this instrument have appeared across Turkish, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Persian and Armenian music for centuries, with its haunting, mystical sound continuing to inspire musicians today. Melisa has long explored the 5-string version of the instrument, expanding her sound palette through innovative designs and techniques.
To learn more about our Uncovering Music IDs video podcast, visit genelec.com/uncovering-music-ids
Performing: Melisa Yıldırım – Anatolian 5-string kamancha
Composed by Melisa Yıldırım
Melisa Yıldırım – an esteemed guest of our Uncovering Music IDs podcast – performs her original composition ‘Velvet’ on a 5-string Anatolian kamancha made of gourd, live at the Genelec Artist Room in Helsinki. Watch Melisa’s Artist Room interview with Genelec: youtu.be/muMhbWMudd4
An acclaimed kamancha player and composer, Melisa brings a fresh voice to this ancient instrument through her distinctive musical language. Velvet, composed in the evocative Nikriz scale, blends tradition with contemporary sensibilities – its rich, resonant tones revealing new textures and possibilities of the kamancha.
The Kamancha/Kemane/Kamancheh is one of the world’s oldest string instruments, with over 3000 years of history. Variants of this instrument have appeared across Turkish, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, Persian and Armenian music for centuries, with its haunting, mystical sound continuing to inspire musicians today. Melisa has long explored the 5-string version of the instrument, expanding her sound palette through innovative designs and techniques.
To learn more about our Uncovering Music IDs video podcast, visit genelec.com/uncovering-music-ids
Performing: Melisa Yıldırım – Anatolian 5-string kamancha
Composed by Melisa Yıldırım
