Mert Yalniz is a Turkish-German conductor, pianist, and composer who has garnered critical acclaim for his individuality, charisma, and compelling musical expression. His piano playing has been described as "passionate, enthusiastic, and highly virtuosic" (Braunschweig Newspaper), while his compositions are celebrated as "a statement from the new generation" (Heidelberger Frühling). His work is praised for its emotive depth and innovation, making him a prominent figure in contemporary classical music.

Yalniz is currently a Salonen Fellow in the Negaunee Conducting Program at the Colburn School and serves on the conducting staff of the San Francisco Symphony, assisting Esa-Pekka Salonen in international engagements. His recent highlights include a debut performance with the San Francisco Symphony's SoundBox series, where he conducted Hannah Kendall’s Verdala, a 2018 work that blends Afro-Caribbean rhythms with birdcalls in a large ensemble setting.

His repertoire as a piano soloist features performances of Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Uniorchester Leibniz and the Braunschweig Chamber Orchestra, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 with the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra and the German Lawyers' Orchestra, Bach's Concerto in D minor, Joaquín Turina's Rapsodia Sinfónica with the Beethoven Orchestra Hessen, and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with La Tempesta.

Yalniz debuted at the Heidelberger Frühling Festival, where he performed excerpts from Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated! and led a performance of his own 45-minute composition, People-Fantasy, for chamber ensemble. In 2023, he performed at the KKL Lucerne as part of the Lucerne Piano Fest, and made his U.S. debut at the Soundboard Institute, presenting a mix of classical repertoire, original compositions, and improvisations. He also participated in Heidelberger Frühling’s Ouvertüre Festival, collaborating with Richard Siegal and Ballet of Difference in a dance production set to Rzewski’s Variations, performing the work in its entirety alongside the choreography.

In 2025, Yalniz made his conducting debut with musicians of the San Francisco Symphony in the SoundBox concert series, leading works by George Lewis, Hannah Kendall, and Courtney Bryan.

Yalniz received extensive training under Jorma Panula at the Panula Academy in Finland, and he has worked with numerous orchestras, including conducting Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture with the Theater für Niedersachsen Philharmonie, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Wernigerode, and Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye and Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 with the Pori Sinfonietta. He has also participated in conducting masterclasses with Joana Mallwitz and at the International Conducting Workshop & Academy (ICWA) under Matthias Bamert and Ken Lam.

As a pianist, Yalniz has achieved numerous first prizes, including the national Jugend musiziert competition, the Eduard Söring Prize from Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, and the NDR Kultur-Förderpreis. He has also been a prizewinner at the International Grotrian-Steinweg Competition (2015, 2017) and the International Music Competition for Young Talents in Istanbul (2016), where he received the Best Musical Interpretation award. Other accolades include first prize at the Hamburg Instrumental Competition, the Trübger Special Prize for Young Pianists, and a debut recital at the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg. In 2022, he won both the jury and audience prizes at the 15th Pianale Piano Festival in Fulda.

Yalniz is a member of the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Hannover program, which brings music to communities with limited access, including care homes, schools, hospitals, and hospices.

He has studied piano under Igor Levit at the Hanover University of Music, Drama, and Media (HMTMH) since 2022 and has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists and teachers, including Bernd Goetzke, Jacques Ammon, Konstanze Eickhorst, Francesco Libetta, Gülsin Onay, Igor Levit, Uta Weyand, Matti Raekallio, William Fong, Markus Schirmer, Filippo Gamba, and Roland Krüger.

Mert Yalniz is currently represented by Colburn Artists.