Turkish-American composer and violinist Ali Can Puskulcu has been recently awarded a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress. His other accolades include the Charles Ives Scholarship Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, ASCAP/SEAMUS Commission Competition, Fromm Foundation Commission from Harvard University, and a Copland House Residency Award. His debut album, “Gibberish Shreds,” was released by New Focus Recordings, and he also performed the “Gibberish Shreds Vol. 1” from his album at the MATA Festival in New York City. Ali’s chamber music piece “Wired” was premiered by wild-Up ensemble at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Noon to Midnight series in Walt Disney Hall. He has also received the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award for his ensemble piece “Broken,” and as a chosen composer, he performed his solo violin piece “Point G” at Lincoln Center in New York City. Additional performances took place at Gaudeamus Muzikweek (Netherlands), Saint-Martin-Vésubie (France), Rutgers University, and the University of Southern California.

            In 2007, Ali entered the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany, under the instruction of Professor Ida Bieler.  In 2010, he was invited to the renowned Schwetzingen Festspiele as a guest artist to perform music by contemporary Turkish composers.  In July 2012, Ali graduated from the violin class of distinguished pedagogue Rosa Fain.  He holds both a Bachelor's and Master's of Arts Diploma from the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule. In March 2013, Ali made his Carnegie Hall debut as the Second Prize Winner of the American Protégé Strings and Piano Competition. He was the winner of the Ereprijs Commission at YCM 2017 and wrote a new piece for Orkest de Ereprijs, which was premiered in March 2018.

            Ali holds degrees from Robert Schumann Hochschule, USC, and a Phd from Brandeis University. He is currently teaching as a Teaching Assistant at Harvard and Brandeis Universities.