As a leading contemporary musician in Turkey, Selen Gülün combines her Western music education and her Turkish soul. It is possible to hear traces of Turkish music in her work as composer, pianist, and singer. She has attained critical acclaim internationally.

“Gülün’s music is by turns distant and immediate -- often in the span of a single track.”
Downbeat by Eric Fine, Jan. 2012

“In a raspberry mini dress and black high heels, Ms. Gulun led her trio, defying stereotypes in the male-dominated musical world that she inhabits, infusing her works with the serenity of her classical training and the energy of an Istanbul upbringing.”
The New York Times & Herald Tribune by Susanne Fowler, Feb. 16, 2011

“In her style, influences from classical and contemporary music rife: pointillism, impressionism, low pitches, clusters, modal, atonal. Gulun has just released a trio record, rich and vibrant, full of different colors and dynamics.”
all.about.jazz by Gian Paolo Galasi, Sep. 1, 2011

“...I waded into my vast Myspace page and found several as yet undiscovered gifted women from the Eurasian continent who are doing the good work. Ms. Gulun employs a stunning integration of Turkish music elements into her vocalizations in addition to her adept applications of keyboardry. I wonder if she ran into Butch Morris when he was teaching in Istanbul?”
Brilliant Corners by Christopher Ruston Rich, July 26, 2009

Selen Gülün, composer, pianist, vocalist, arranger and educator started her early music education at the Istanbul University State Conservatory. After graduating from Istanbul University Business Administration Department, she continued her music education at the Mimar Sinan University State Conservatory in Istanbul. In 1996, she received a talent scholarship to study at the Berklee College of Music and received her B.A. in Jazz Composition summa cum laude in 1998. After graduation, she returned to Istanbul and completed her Master’s in Music at Istanbul Technical University’s Center of Advanced Studies in Music (MIAM) in 2003.
She taught Piano Performance, Music Theory, and Composition at Istanbul Bilgi University’s Music Department from 1998 to 2015. She has given lectures on new music and contemporary music at the Berklee College of Music, the New School, the Malmö Academy of Music, the Utrecht School of the Arts, TEDx Bogazici University among others. She currently teaches at Özyegin University and Bilgi University.

Selen Gülün works actively as a composer/performer in various styles of contemporary music. She has received many awards for her performances and compositions including the Charles Mingus Composition Award 1998 and the British Council Visiting Arts, Creative Collaboration in Music 2003.  Her music has been performed in countries around the world including Austria, Germany, Holland, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, France, the USA, Brazil, Japan, Cambodia, Pakistan, Lithuania, Russia, Mozambique, and Turkey. She has released five albums: Just About Jazz Live (recjazz, 2005), Selen Gülün Trio Sürprizler (recjazz, 2006), Selen Gülün by Selen Gülün (re:konstruKt, 2009), Answers (pozitif, 2010), and Başka (linrecords, 2013). Answers reached #6 and Başka reached #4 in the Jazz Tokyo Weekly Chart.