Kiveli Dörken is a classical pianist of Greek and Turkish descent, born on October 19, 1989, in Istanbul, Turkey. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her mother being a pianist and her father a cellist. Her parents recognized her talent for music at a young age and started her on piano lessons when she was just four years old. Dörken's family moved to Germany when she was six years old, and she continued her music education there. She studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with Professor Pavel Gililov and later at the Mozarteum University Salzburg with Professor Jacques Rouvier. She also attended masterclasses with renowned pianists such as András Schiff, Murray Perahia, and Menahem Pressler. Dörken's talent and hard work paid off when she won several international piano competitions, including the International Telekom Beethoven Competition Bonn in 2013 and the International Mozart Competition Salzburg in 2015. These victories launched her career as a soloist, and she has since performed in major concert halls around the world. One of Dörken's most notable performances was at the Berlin Philharmonic in 2016, where she played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. The concert was highly praised by critics, with one reviewer describing Dörken's playing as "effortlessly elegant and technically flawless." Dörken has also collaborated with other renowned musicians, such as cellist Nicolas Altstaedt and violinist Veronika Eberle. Together, they have performed in festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and the Rheingau Musik Festival. In addition to her solo and chamber music performances, Dörken is also passionate about contemporary music. She has premiered works by composers such as Fazıl Say and Wolfgang Rihm and has recorded an album of solo piano works by the Turkish composer Ahmed Adnan Saygun. Dörken's recordings have received critical acclaim, with her album of Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 20 and 21 with the English Chamber Orchestra being praised for its "sparkling clarity and precision" by Gramophone magazine. She has also recorded solo piano works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. Despite her success, Dörken remains humble and dedicated to her craft. She continues to practice for several hours a day and is always seeking to improve her playing. In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, she said, "I am never satisfied with my playing. There is always something to improve, something to work on." In addition to her music career, Dörken is also involved in philanthropic work. She is a member of the board of trustees of the Kiveli Dörken Foundation, which supports young musicians and promotes cultural exchange between Greece and Turkey. In conclusion, Kiveli Dörken is a talented and accomplished classical pianist who has made a name for herself in the music world. Her dedication to her craft and passion for music have led to numerous awards and performances in major concert halls around the world. She is a true inspiration to young musicians and a testament to the power of hard work and perseverance.

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