«This phenomenon personality who is an acrobat of his instrument is an example standing at the peak of musical consciousness. His musical sensitivity, comprehension and creativity comes out in the form of a reflex. When he performs his harp you will not not believe what you will hear. He is a musician from top to toe and moreover he governs an exceptional cultural maturity.
Ahmet Say (Music Writer, Cumhuriyet)
He was born in Balikesir, in 1969
He began studying the harp at the age of 10 with Ass. Prof. Kaysu Dogansoy at Ankara State Conservatory in 1980. He graduated from the conservatory in 1988 and started working at the Presidential Symphony Orchestra (PSO) as solo harpist at the age of 19.
Apart from his career as the resident solo harpist of the PSO, he performed in various concerts and orchestras between 1989-1995. He was the first young Turkish musician to be accepted in these orchestras and following him, other young Turkish musicians were also accepted.
- 1989 Mediterranean Youth Orchestra as solo harpist
- 1990 Duo concert with Ursula Holliger at Festival Pontino di Musica
- 1991 Won the Scholarship of German Academics (D.A.A.D.) and worked with Mariana Schmidt Kriceberg and Regina Herving at the Berlin Music Academy and graduated with high degree diploma in1993.
- 1992 Jeunes Musicales Weltorchester as solo harpist in 1992
- 1992-1995 Gustav Mahler Jugend Orchester as solo harpist
He performed in several music festivals such as Salzburg Music Festival, Wien Modern, BBC Prohms, Amsterdam Mahler Festival, Budapest Spring Festival, Schleswig Holstein Music Festival, Festival de Radio France en Montpellier and Ferrara Musica and worked with world known conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Peter Eotvos, Michael Gielen, Yakov Kreisberg, James Judd, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Tugan Sokhiev, Daniel Gatti and Daniel Harding,Viladimir Fedoseyev.
He was invited to perform as a guest musician in Berlin Runfunk Symphony Orchestra (R.S.B.) and Dresdner Staats Kapelle in 1992.
As a soloist, he performed with many orchesters some of these are Dresdner Philharmonic Orchester ,New Japan Philharmonic Orchester, Presidential Symphony OrchestraI Gumi Music Festival Orchestra Korea,Polish Wieniawski Philharmonic Orchester, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, İzmir State Symphony Orchestra, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra, Mittelsächsischen Philharmoniehestra, National Reassurance Chamber Orchestra, Borusan Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Minsk Chamber Orchestra,, Istanbul Chamber Orchestra,Lithuanian Chamber Orchester,Kiev National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra,
In 2006, he was invited to Felix Godefroid International Harp Competition as juror.
Between 2008 and 2010 he performed as guest artist in the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.
Turkish composers dedicated their Works to Çağatay Akyol. Harp Concerto, composed by Nejat Basegmezler ,Instant Dream for solo harp composed by Mahir Çetiz and trio for harp&flute and viola by Hasan Tura.Concerto for Harp&Ney by Kemal Günüç, Anatolia Colors for Flute&Harp by Kemal Günüç ( recorded MSR 2023)
- Lyric, Harp and Recorder, (November 2004 KALAN MUSIC)
- Harp and Violin with Cihat Askin, (July 2009 KALAN MUSİC)
- Harp&Flute with Nicole Esposito Dancing in Dreams( february 2021 MSR Classic)
- Single Harp Hittite Suitte (Japan Wind Express company 2022 )
- Harp&Flute with Nicole Esposito İNTERSECTİON ( Julay 2023 MSR CLASSİC)
In 2011 he participated in a EU Project called Hattushah based on Hittite music in Anatolia.
He founded the duo Arpanatolia with Turkish musician Ferhat Erdem in May 2012.
In 2012, he performed bass recorder as soloist in the concerts of well known Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say’s Mesapotamia Symphony. A DVD and CD production of these concerts came out end of 2012 year.April 2015 , He performed 3 concerts with Dresdner Philharmonic Orchester this Mesapotamia Symhony with Fazil Say..Cagatay Akyol invited for to perform in 2018-2019 from Canada,Russia,Bulgaria,Italy,Ukreina,USA,Japan and Germany.
He was harp teacher at the Anadolu University State Conservatory beetwen 2010 - 2015 and currently continuing his music career as the solo harpist of the PSO.