IEW 2015: IEW at the Kopleff Celebrating Turkey & South Africa – Featuring Emrah Kotan, Jazz Percussionist, and Darren English, Jazz Trumpeter

Emrah Kotan, a classically-trained percussionist from Turkey, is one of the most sought after musicians in the Atlanta music scene. His unique musical ability transcends many genres and cultures. He is involved in various musical projects, including his own, and is the drummer and percussionist for Grammy award winning artist, India.Arie.

Emrah is an enthusiastic music educator and also serves as the Director of the Jazz and World Percussion Ensembles at Agnes Scott College. South African-born trumpeter Darren English is the two-time recipient of the Fine Music Radio (FMR) Award and the 2012 recipient of the SAMRO Overseas Award.

Recently he has been featured in the US at the Atlanta Jazz Fest with his own quintet, as well as being the featured young artist at the 2015 Sitka Jazz Festival in Alaska and in Livorno, Italy with vocalist Michela Lombardi. The celebrated musicians, who are both alums of Georgia State University, will fuse both countries’ genres, performing Turkish and South African influenced and inspired folk songs in celebration of this concert. In collaboration with the GSU Jazz Band and Dr. Gordon Vernick, director.

Georgia State University will celebrate International Education Week (IEW) on November 1 – 6, 2015.  As a U.S. Department of State’s initiative to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange, colleges, universities, high schools, and organizations are encouraged to host events that celebrate global education and foster cross-cultural understanding. International Education Week is now celebrated in more than 100 countries (and counting!). For more information, please visit http://international.gsu.edu/IEW.