Ayça Kartari

Ayça Kartari is an Adjunct Professor of Double Bass at the VCUarts School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University. She specializes in classical and contemporary music performance, with a focus on chamber music and orchestral roles. Born in Bilecik, Turkiye, she holds a graduate degree from the Lausanne Conservatory and has performed internationally with renowned orchestras and ensembles.

Her career includes roles with the Izmir State Opera and Ballet, Istanbul Borusan Philharmonic, and collaborations with artists like Trey Pollard. She has performed at prestigious venues such as the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Bozar (Brussels), and the Royal Albert Hall (London). Kartari also directs Classical Incarnations at Classical Revolution RVA and served as Artistic Director for the Mozart Festival.

She currently teaches upright bass at VCU and performs with Richmond-based groups like Yeni Nostalji and the Richmond Symphony. Her recordings include contributions to Trey Pollard's Antiphone and the commissioned work Rags and Hymns of River City by Mason Bates.