Meral Guneyman

Meral Guneyman is a renowned classical pianist, jazz interpreter, and educator with a career spanning decades. She has taught at prestigious institutions including Harvard University, MIT, New York University, Princeton University, Georgetown University, and Bosphorus University, focusing on music education and performance. An alumna of The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music, she has also participated in the Mozarteum University’s International Summer Academy in Salzburg. Her work bridges classical and contemporary music, with notable arrangements of David Bowie, Duke Ellington, and others, featured in Steinway-Spirio’s Spirio Library. She is a Steinway Artist and Cultural Advisor to the United Nations World Council of Peoples.

Education:

• The Juilliard School (Conservatory)
• Berklee College of Music
• Mozarteum University Salzburg (International Summer Academy, 1969)

Research & Performance: Ms. Guneyman is dedicated to contemporary music promotion, having premiered works by composers like Justin Dello Joio and Ilhan Mimaroglu. Her performances blend classical rigor with jazz improvisation, exemplified in collaborations with Dick Hyman and Christopher O’Riley. She emphasizes cross-genre exploration, stating, “There’s only good and bad music.”

Awards & Honors:

• Two-time Judelson Award
• Laura Conover Pedagogy Award
• Steinway Artist (16 years)
• UN Cultural Advisor (10 years)

Teaching & Philanthropy: Founded a music school in New Jersey with 100+ students, emphasizing early childhood education. Active in fundraising for charitable organizations. Advocates for arts education, noting declining school budgets threaten cultural development.

Labs/Teams: Collaborations with musicians like Jed Distler (Philip Glass arrangements) and Christopher O’Riley (David Bowie projects). Regular performances at institutions like RCA Studios and Village Vanguard.