Cem Beran Sertkaya
The Artist: Born in Ankara, Turkey, he embarked on his professional singing journey after graduating from Bilkent College of Musical and Performing Arts in 2003, where he studied under the renowned Turkish soprano Suna Korad. He achieved notable success in various singing competitions, securing both first and second prizes. Beginning in 2004, he participated in numerous productions at opera houses in Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, and Izmir, collaborating with different symphony orchestras across Turkey. In 2010, he was awarded the “Savonlinna Music Academy Masterclass” scholarship, allowing him to learn from the esteemed Finnish baritone, Tom Krause. Additionally, he received scholarships to attend the Aspen Music School in Colorado, USA, for the June 2012 festival. His international debut took place in 2013 at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, where he portrayed Albert in Massenet’s Werther.
The Crafter: He got into leather-crafting as a hobby when he was just 14. It all started when he watched his grandfather making leather sheaths for gardening tools, belts, and boot covers to keep the mud off. Inspired, he began tackling some small, rough projects. After putting in a lot of time and effort to hone his skills in crafting leather accessories and bags, he launched “Beran” in 2010.