Arpanatolia: Voice of Anatolia

Story of Arpanatolia

Founded in 2012 as a duo by Çağatay Akyol and Ferhat Erdem, ARPANATOLIA gave its debut performance within the framework of Expo 2012 held in Venlo, the Netherlands, in the presence of the Dutch Queen. Following this inaugural concert, ARPANATOLIA continued to perform both domestically and internationally, while also participating in various festivals.

In 2013, percussionist Suat Kuş joined the group, transforming ARPANATOLIA into a trio.

ARPANATOLIA has been featured as a guest on numerous radio and television programs. In collaboration with TRT, the group filmed a music video at Meke Lake in Karapınar, Konya—using a hymn by Yunus Emre—to draw attention to the lake's desiccation. Committed to social responsibility projects, the trio also took part in the “A Scream for the Lake” initiative organized to raise awareness about the drying of Lake Burdur. As part of this project, they performed a series of concerts and appeared in a documentary film produced for the cause. This documentary, which was screened at various international film festivals, including the 66th Berlin Film Festival in 2016 where ARPANATOLIA also gave a concert, helped highlight their environmental advocacy. Additionally, a documentary featuring ARPANATOLIA was filmed by TRT in Cappadocia under the theme "Sounds that Unite".

In 2018, Cemal Özkızıltaş joined ARPANATOLIA as the new percussionist, replacing Suat Kuş, who had departed the group that same year. During ARPANATOLIA’s concerts, visual presentations are curated by Can Özgün and projected in the background, complementing the live musical performance. The group’s sound engineering is managed by Bülent Yanıkoğlu.

ARPANATOLIA’s debut album, Peninsula, was released in March 2019 under the ACM label and is available on all major digital platforms, as well as in CD format.

To date, ARPANATOLIA has performed at prominent international festivals and events in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Canada, China, and Hong Kong.

The group has also collaborated with symphonic orchestras in its performances. For the 2023 and 2024 concert seasons, ARPANATOLIA is planning a series of concerts not only in Turkey, but also in Belgium, France, Japan, and the Netherlands.

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