2018 Kat Domingo Memorial Artist*

Aynur is the voice of a culture: a Turkish-born Kurd, she sings Kurdish songs steeped in centuries of tradition and yet brings her own contemporary style to a folkloric repertoire. Aynur’s music focuses on the life and suffering of the Kurdish people, and in particular, Kurdish women. Her career has included collaborations with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Kayhan Kalhor, and Javier Limón. In 2017, she received the Master of Mediterranean Music Award from the Berklee College of Music’s Mediterranean Music Institute. On the occasion, she said, “I grew up with the voices of women who lamented war and the children they could not raise. Day after day, lamentations have grown but not sons or daughters. I dedicate this award to our women who, despite violence and oppression, do not bow their heads.”

*The Kat Domingo Memorial Artist honors the memory of Dr. Katherine “Kat” Domingo, an advocate for the power of music to build bridges and community – in particular, through the beauty of the human voice.