Composer

An original 45-minute composition inspired by Frederic Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, premiered at Heidelberger Frühling.

Pianist and composer Mert Yalniz represents a new generation responding to Rzewski’s revolutionary étude. At just 18 years old, while studying piano under Igor Levit, he embraced The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, a work that profoundly shaped his artistic identity and worldview.

In his six-part composition People-Fantasy, Yalniz explores themes of nature, society, human values, and global responsibility. He believes that every individual has a duty to appreciate and protect their environment, including the natural world and its creatures. His work incorporates a diverse range of musical influences, from Tango and Asian pentatonic scales to choral music, Oriental motifs, and English folk traditions.

People-Fantasy was premiered at Heidelberger Frühling as part of the Standpunkte series, curated by Igor Levit, and performed by Yalniz alongside ten other young artists.