German-Turkish violinist Ayla Şahin enjoys a versatile and varied career as a soloist and chamber musician. She regularly performs across the UK and Europe at renowned venues and festivals, including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Royal Albert Hall, KKL Luzern, Stadtcasino Basel, Festival Jong Talent Schiermonnikoog, Yellow Barn, IMS Prussia Cove and Swiss Chamber Music Festival.
Her commitment to chamber music has shaped her into a sensitive collaborator, performing alongside distinguished musicians like Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Alena Baeva. As a member of Trio Archai, she won the 72nd Royal Overseas League Competition and was a prizewinner at the 2023 Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition. Ayla looks forward to participating in the Whittington International Chamber Music Festival with Trio Archai after meeting Sophia Rahman at the Hellensmusic Festival. As co-artistic director of VOLTA Kammermusikfest in Basel, she curates innovative programs and brings together world-class artists.
Born in Brighton, UK, German-Turkish violinist Ayla Şahin is active as a soloist, chamber musician, and artistic director across Europe and beyond. A sought-after performer, Ayla has appeared at major international venues and festivals, including Wigmore Hall, Heidelberger Frühling, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Tivoli Vredenburg, Kings Place, Stadtcasino Basel, St George’s Bristol, Yellow Barn, O/Modernt Winter Festival and Swiss Chamber Music. She has collaborated with artists such as Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Alena Baeva, Timothy Ridout, and Claudio Martinez-Mehner. Driven by a belief that classical music should speak to contemporary audiences, Ayla is the co-founder and artistic director of VOLTA Kammermusikfest, an annual international chamber music festival in Basel with an emphasis on innovative programming. She is a prizewinner of numerous national and international competitions, most recently receiving 1st Prize and the Beethoven Prize at the 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition, and 1st Prize at the 72nd Royal Overseas League Competition (2024) with Trio Archai. Ayla recently completed her Master’s at the Musik-Akademie Basel with Rainer Schmidt and Zoltán Fejérvári, where she was awarded the Brambilla Prize for the most outstanding Master’s violin recital.