Life & Work with Rasih Öztürk of Boston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rasih Öztürk.

Hi Rasih, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My musical journey began in Izmir, Turkey, when I was 11 years old. My father bought me my first keyboard, and my mother got me my first guitar later that same year. My father was initially hesitant about a career in music, but he fully supported my path once I proved my ambitions went far beyond just being a performer, I wanted to be a music theorist, educator, and composer. By age 14, I was performing on professional stages alongside my mentor Mustafa Kamçıcı. Throughout high school, I served as orchestra leader, winning “Best Bassist” as an individual performer and “Best Song” with my band at the Turkish National High School Music Competition. During these years, I also deepened my foundation in classical composition and arranging under Anıl Altınsoy. Studying in the United States was always my dream, but given the challenging economic conditions in Turkey, funding an overseas education independently was nearly impossible. I knew that if I wanted to make it to the U.S., I had to work exceptionally hard to earn merit based financial support. That dedication paid off at age 20 when I was admitted to the McNally Smith College of Music in Minnesota on a 50% scholarship, testing out of 15 courses due to my advanced preparation. After returning to Turkey in 2017 following the institution’s closure, I actively built my professional resume. I founded the Rasih Öztürk Quartet, performed with Armağan Sönmez’s group “Kaygı,” and in 2020 released my debut solo album, Early Bird, for which I personally recorded all guitar, bass, and keyboard tracks. During this period, I also collaborated with Sina Koloğlu, cofounder of Bulutsuzluk Özlemi, one of Turkey’s iconic rock bands, serving as arranger and producer for our 2022 single “Mevhibe”. My commitment to earning full financial backing culminated in 2021 when I was selected by Berklee College of Music to receive the prestigious, all-inclusive Arif Mardin Scholarship from the American Turkish Society. I came to Boston in 2022 alongside my wife and musical collaborator, Nisa Benna, who independently won the same award. I went on to study Jazz Composition at Berklee on a full-tuition World Tour Scholarship valued at approximately $300,000. Pushing myself academically, I worked closely with masters like Greg Hopkins and Steve Rochinski, served as a certified tutor in Berklee’s Core Music Tutoring program, and completed my bachelor’s degree in just 1.5 years, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.99 GPA. Today, I am based in Boston, balancing my career as an active performing artist, composer, producer, and educator. I teach guitar, bass, theory, composition, and ensemble classes at the Guitar Corner Music School, while annually preparing students for Berklee’s programs, helping them secure full and substantial scholarships just as I did. On the pedagogical front, I am currently writing a comprehensive multi-volume harmony text and ear training series. I recently released original compositions including “First Night at Newbury Street” (saxophone quartet) and “Hope” (da capo aria for alto voice & piano) as well as my album Live at Berklee with Friends through LoftCaz Records while continuing to arrange and produce for prominent artists across Turkey and the U.S.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. As a Turkish musician and educator, I didn’t take a conventional path, especially given the severe economic challenges in Turkey over the last 15 years, which made pursuing an international music career a massive uphill climb.The struggles began right at the start. Because I was naturally strong in software and computer engineering, my father originally didn’t want me to pursue music. As a result, I didn’t have formal private lessons in my early years; I had to teach myself how to play and understand music theory independently before I could prove to him that my ambition was to become a theorist, composer, and educator rather than just a performer.The most significant obstacle, however, was Turkey’s economic climate alongside the severe lack of scholarships, financial aid, or student loans for music students. Studying in the U.S. was my dream, but funding an overseas education independently was financially impossible. I realized early on that my only option was to work relentlessly to earn merit-based financial support. Even after securing a 50% scholarship to McNally Smith College of Music in Minnesota, I faced another major setback when the institution suddenly closed, forcing me to return to Turkey in 2017. Additionally, navigating the differences between Turkish and U.S. music curricula was a major hurdle, as the lack of alignment made it difficult to complete a traditional degree in Turkey.Overcoming these barriers required absolute dedication. It meant pushing myself to test out of 15 courses when I first reached the U.S., and later proving my abilities to earn the prestigious Arif Mardin Scholarship and a full-tuition World Tour Scholarship to Berklee. Driven by that relentless work ethic, I managed to complete my bachelor’s degree at Berklee in just 1.5 years, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.99 GPA. Every challenge along the way ultimately shaped my resilience as an artist and fuels my passion today for helping my own students navigate these same financial and academic hurdles

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in jazz and traditional compositional styles where I blend improvisation with contemporary atonal elements, contemporary harmony and various orchestration settings.
My work ranges from writing for saxophone quartets and modern jazz ensembles to arranging vocal pieces and big-band compositions.

I teach guitar, bass guitar, music theory, songwriting, composition, conservatory preparation, and ensemble classes at the Guitar Corner Music School in Boston. Beyond active teaching, I specialize in theoretical curriculum design, currently writing a comprehensive three-volume harmony text and a five-volume ear training series.

I produce and arrange for artists across both Turkey and the U.S., performing guitar, bass, and keyboard tracks on recordings.

I am mostly recognized for my deep theoretical foundation paired with experience in performance. I earned a reputation at Berklee College of Music for completing my Jazz Composition bachelor’s degree in just 1.5 years, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.99 GPA while serving as a certified tutor in Berklee’s Core Music Tutoring program.

As a composer, I am also known for my core artistic philosophy: “melody above all else,” integrating rich harmonic counterpoint with strong, memorable melodic lines.

As a recording artist, because I naturally approach music from a theoretical and compositional lens having self-taught across guitar, bass, and keyboards I see the entire arrangement rather than just a single instrument’s role.

Annually, I mentor candidates for Berklee’s undergraduate, graduate, and summer programs, with my students consistently securing full or substantial scholarships.

Winning the prestigious, all-inclusive Arif Mardin Scholarship from the American Turkish Society and a full-tuition World Tour Scholarship to Berklee (around $300,000 value) despite severe economic hurdles in Turkey is one of my greatest personal milestones. Coming to the U.S. alongside my wife and musical collaborator, Nisa Benna who independently won the Arif Mardin Scholarship and continuing to write, arrange, and record music with her (such as our tribute piece “Longing For You” and the single “Hope”) remains as one of the most fulfilling aspects of my career.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I am driven by the responsibility to make high-level music theory accessible and empowering for the next generation. Having faced severe economic barriers and self-taught beginnings, I know firsthand how transformative mentorship can be. Whether I am writing comprehensive harmony books or coaching students to earn full scholarships to institutions like Berklee, helping aspiring musicians overcome their own obstacles and find their unique artistic voice is what gives my work its ultimate purpose.

Also, writing music which serves all audiences while it keeps being intellectually high level. This requires melody along with good technical foundation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rasihozturk.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rasihozturkk/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rasihozturk