I have been in love with cinema for as long as I can remember. This was also the case when my mother took me to see Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Bear in 1989, at the Süreyya Cinema, which now serves as an opera house; And when I gathered up my courage and called the pub where my father hung out, saying "Come on home, King Kong will start on Channel 6"...

I couldn't hold back my tears in both movies. It doesn't matter if it's a giant gorilla kidnapping the movie star or an unfortunate mama bear. I can never stand anything happening to animals.

In January 1995, The Lion King, which I was looking forward to, was released and I asked my mother to take me to the cinema. We happily accepted and went to watch The Lion King at Süreyya Cinema, which has the most beautiful hall in Kadıköy.

Even though it was animated, what happened to Mufasa still left me in tears. But of course I loved The Lion King. So much so that I asked my mother to take me to the movie once again. This suggestion was not accepted. And I don't know how it happened, but after that day at Süreyya Cinema in January 1995, I never watched The Lion King again.

32 years have passed, I still have vague scenes from the movie before my eyes. And I'm getting ready to refresh those scenes in a way that will never be forgotten again. Because Piu Entertainment is preparing to bring The Lion King to the audience by blending cinema and live music with the "Movies in Concert" concept.

Of course, what excites me is not just the prospect of watching The Lion King on the screen after many years. Watching him with the orchestra conducted by Grammy nominee Esin Aydıngöz, who composed the cello arrangement of Paint it Black for Netflix's award-winning series Wednesday.

Remixing a Rolling Stones classic, streamed almost 38 million times on Spotify and topping the Billboard charts, isn't everyone's cup of tea. Naturally, I wonder what kind of person Esin Aydıngöz is and how our meeting will go. After all, this is my first time meeting a Grammy-nominated musician for coffee and a chat.

"A power comes when you go on stage"

We meet at a cafe on the Anatolian Side on a bright Friday. While the sun warms our bones, it also shines on our eyes, but now there is someone even brighter than that on the table: The one I'm talking about is none other than Esin Aydıngöz herself, with her wet hair, big smile, high energy and dazzling light.

When one sees him, one cannot imagine how such a cheerful, kind and cheerful person would conduct a huge orchestra. "A power comes when you go up there," explains Esin. 

Being a conductor is so strange... I think the last time I conducted on stage was November 6th. Last performance of the Coco tour, we are in Utah. When you don't do it for two months, you wonder, 'Do I remember how it was done?' He can't help but think. Okay, I always conduct an imaginary orchestra at home, but the reality is completely different...

Aydıngöz's musical life begins with the small keyboard his grandfather gave him as a gift when he was only 4 years old. "I tell this in every interview, now I have to find something new," he jokes. However, there is nothing more inspiring than the fact that this exquisite career started with a small organ purchased with newspaper coupons. 

"I evolved with my father's care"

There are no professional musicians in the Aydıngöz family, but Esin explains, "My father is an incredible listener." 

When I was little, in addition to taking me to concerts and festivals, he would also find a way to take me to rehearsals. Because he wanted to be a musician, but he became a doctor. It's really very relevant. I think I evolved here a little bit with his attention.

Esin explains that she did not always want to study the piano when she was a child, but she did not hesitate to challenge herself when it came to the pieces she wanted to play.

For example, there are Bach's Preludes and Fugues. But in order to play the Prelude, you also need to play the Fugue, and the Fugue is technically more difficult. My teacher was saying, 'Erin, you can't just play the Prelude of this, it's against the laws of music.' No, I will play. Because I want to steal. But they said 'Don't do it, don't do it' so many times that I got a little alienated from classical music. Because I wanted to be free, play whatever I wanted, do whatever I wanted.

"The love and passion for music was strengthened with freedom”

After a while, the balance changed with Esin's self-discovery:

When they discovered that I could compose, there was a change in balance and this time they could not lift me from the piano. Or, for example, I'm in high school, writing lyrics. This time it comes from within me and no one is telling me 'Don't do this, don't do that'. At that time, when I discovered my interest in composition, I started taking composition lessons from Mete Sakpınar. Unfortunately, we lost him last year, he was such a valuable person and such a wonderful educator! Whether I wrote instrumental pieces or tried a new pop song, he always listened to my music with a big smile on his face. With the freedom and self-confidence he gave me, my love and passion for music was strengthened.

"I was always short," Esin explains. And he remembers how he challenged those who said, "He can't do it, he's too young, he can't do it":

I was never upset or resentful of this. But I said, 'I'll show you what I can and can't do.'

"I was inspired by 'Little Sparrow'"

He also admits that he is subconsciously influenced by Sezen Aksu:

They call Sezen Aksu 'Little Sparrow', a bit like her. He also does great things, there is no one who doesn't know his songs, he is a very strong musician. On the other hand, his nickname is Little Sparrow. I think I was inspired by that a little bit, too.

Although Esin Aydıngöz does not like to work by herself at home, she has always loved rehearsing with her teammates. While talking about his years at Bilfen, he mentions that he was in the school orchestra and started playing the violin. While his friends didn't want to stay after school and practice, he wanted to play over and over again. 

“It's nice to be part of something bigger.”

"When you do it with people, a different energy emerges," he says:

I don't like working alone at home, but if there are 40 of us in rehearsal, there couldn't be a better place in the world for me. I think it's great to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Ultimately, what emerges with the orchestra is something I cannot do alone. Something magical emerges and it's very special.

Esin graduated from Berklee College of Music. He loved his school so much that he even worked as a mascot. And his student years were wonderful. I'm not exaggerating... He describes it as "incredible" and adds:

I didn't want it to end. I completed a double major and minor to maximize the memories and knowledge I would accumulate at Berklee.

Years later, Esin returned to her beloved school as Deputy Head of Department and stayed there for 13 months. He coached students preparing to graduate, dealt with them personally, and enjoyed it very much. Her eyes shine again as she explains that she helped them in their job search process and that they experienced this excitement together.

"Berklee has a very safe environment," he says, but of course he also reminds us of the competition:

But it is not at a point where it prevents anyone from doing something and demoralizes anyone. When you leave there and go to Los Angeles, you're not just fighting against people your own age. You are fighting with all the people in the industry to achieve something. Because people from all over the world, the most passionate about music, film or dance, come there. That's why I miss Berklee's friendly atmosphere so much.

"The cello world came together"

While meeting with Esin Aydıngöz, it is impossible not to ask her about the Grammys. "It was something I wanted very much, but I never thought I could be a candidate this early," he says. 

When Tim Burton was involved and the project was about Wednesday Addams, we created something a little sensational, the cello world came together. 'Is this really something that can be played humanly, did they record it on a computer, did a real cellist play it?' It became a matter of curiosity.

Not much has changed in Esin's life after her Grammy nomination. "It didn't change much in my career, but it increased my recognition," he says. He adds that he doesn't care much about awards:

"The award ceremony only lasts one day, but you give months of your time to a tour or a TV series. That's why the happiness that comes from doing the work itself is much longer-lasting and actually more valuable than the award. For example, The Lion King. Now we will do three performances, but I spend two months with The Lion King and it is very nice.

"My biggest preoccupation right now is The Lion King"

Esin is currently completely devoted to The Lion King. "Although we played the music of the 2019 version at the Cemil Topuzlu Harbiye Open Air Stage on June 8 last year, this is completely different," he adds:

It is 30 minutes shorter than the other version and since it is animated, the music is a little more naive and there are some comedic elements. Of course, the main themes are the same and I am very familiar with the music, but still, my biggest work and preoccupation right now is The Lion King.

Talking about his performance, Cemil Topuzlu says, "It was the best day of my life, something I still can't believe" and adds:

It was such an incredible experience. I cannot put into words the joy of conducting Circle of Life, the song that starts and ends the movie, with a full orchestra. I'm so excited to be able to do this again. Moreover, we now have three confirmed shows. This excitement will spread over a week, so I'm very happy.

I share the same excitement and happiness. Because I will go back to that day at Süreyya Cinema and also because I will see how Esin became a giant while conducting the orchestra of 80 people on stage... 

The Lion King - Live in Concert

26 January 15.30 – Volkswagen Arena Istanbul

2 February – 15.30 and 19.30 – ATO Congresium Ankara