Yigit Karatas

Born in Turkey in 1994, Karatas is an acclaimed violinist celebrated for his technical brilliance and deeply expressive performances. He began his formal music education at the Istanbul University State Conservatory. In 2013, he earned a full scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he was mentored by the renowned violinist and pedagogue Albert Markov. He later completed his master’s degree at the Juilliard School under the guidance of Frank Huang.

Karatas has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Grand Prize at the Waldo Mayo International Violin Competition in New York and First Prize at the International Suna Kan Violin Competition in Ankara. In the same year, Yigit had his Carnegie Hall debut featuring a performance of Brahms' Violin Concerto with the Senior Concert Orchestra of New York under the baton of David Gilbert.

Additional accolades include the “Helen Airoff Dowling” Award from the Manhattan School of Music for outstanding achievement, the “Ahmet Ertegün” Grant from The American Turkish Society presented by Juilliard School, and The Young Talent Award from the Mersin International Music Festival.

Karatas has appeared on major television networks such as CNN and regularly performs with orchestras and chamber music ensembles across North America. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with distinguished soloists such as Leonidas Kavakos, Maxim Vengerov, and Ivry Gitlis, and has participated in masterclasses led by Agustin Hadelich and Ida Haendel. He has also had the privilege of working under the batons of renowned conductors like Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, and Gürer Aykal.

His performances have graced numerous music festivals and concerts across Europe and Asia, Africa and America including in New York, France, London, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, and Korea. Among his notable collaborations with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra are performances of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Sibelius' Violin Concerto in Turkey, and a tour featuring Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto at the International Belfort Music Festival in France. He also performed at the opening season of the Istanbul Music Festival with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. Since 2013, Karatas has been a regular performer at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.