Istanbulite bassist and composer Volkan Topakoğlu made his debut “Birdenbire”, him on double bass, Berke Özgümüş on drums, Kürşad Deniz on piano, Barış Ertürk on saxophone and Eylül Biçer on guitar. The album represents a collection of Volkan’s original music. The CD contains ten tracks and released under prestigious “Kalan” label in May, 2015. Playing the keyboard and the guitar by ten, Volkan started his formal education in music studying cello and piano at Avni Akyol High School of Music and Arts in İstanbul. At fourteen he was influenced by his bass guitarist brother and started to listen to jazz records and play the bass guitar. After getting acceptance from Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul, he studied electric bass and double bass with Kâmil Erdem for four years and graduated with a “very good” degree, obtaining the second best degree in the Music Department. The following summer he attended the international jazz workshop in Pulawy, Poland and did lessons with Polish double bass virtuosos Jacek Meira-Niedziela and Bronislaw Suchanek. Became a finalist at Nomme Jazz Festival’s 13. Jazz Artist Bass Competition, Tallinn, Estonia. Played at several jazz and music festivals throughout the world with various bands. As one of the busiest bassists in Turkey, Volkan also studies his Master’s Degree in Composition at Istanbul Technical University Turkish Music State Conservatory while he also teaches and works as a recording artist, playing double bass and electric bass for albums, radio and TV shows, and TRT Big Band recordings.