Benyamin Sönmez

Benyamin Sönmez (January 16, 1983 – November 30, 2011) was a Turkish classical cellist.

Early years and family

Benyamin was born to Turkish parents in Bremen, Germany. His father went to Germany in the 1970s as a tourist taking his musical instrument saz with him. He stayed there, formed a musical group and earned his living playing music at weddings. Later, his mother followed his father to Germany. As Benyamin was three years old, the family with two boys returned home.

Benyamin spent his childhood in Akşehir, a town in Konya Province, where the alleged tomb of Nasreddin Hoca is located. During his primary school years, he contributed to family's budget by selling food and drinks at street.

Benyamin Sönmez grew up in a family that performed music altogether at home. As his father played tambur and his mother sang, his elder brother Mehmet and he accompanied their parents by playing kanun and darbuka. He remembers that his childhood toys were musical instruments like kanun, oud, cümbüş, electronic organ, darbuka, tambur, saz, ney as well as guitar. His father, a talented musician without any formal musical education, made Benyamin love music and introduced him in playing various musical instruments.

As a child, he accompanied his father at his father's musical performances with his group on stage at weddings. Benyamin envied his father, and imitated him at home after their return. A member of his father's musical group became aware of his elder brother's musical talent and advised to send him to conservatory. His brother Mehmet Sönmez studied playing contrabass at Ankara State Conservatory. After winning an international prize, his brother went to Belgium to play with the Royal Orchestra. He is currently a member of the Turkish Presidential Symphony Orchestra.

Education

Benyamin was a primary school pupil as his brother Mehmet studied at the conservatory in Ankara. Mehmet listened to classical music at home when he was on vacation. Once, Benyamin was very impressed by the music of Shostakovich, which his brother listened to at home. Mehmet, noticing his brother's interest in classical music, took him to Ankara. At the age of 13, Benyamin took an admission test for the conservatory at the Hacettepe University. He failed the test and his brother was told by the jury that Benyamin was not talented for music.

Returning home, Benyamin was eager to study music. He took the test again the next year, and this time he passed. He was asked what musical instrument he liked to play. He replied "Violoncello", because its name sounded nice to him, even though he had never seen an example of it. The jury looked at his fingers and approved his choice. He saw a cello for the first time in the conservatory's string instrument workshop. He says he would not have complained if he had to study viola or violin instead of cello.

In his first years at the conservatory, he surprised everyone by playing works that were actually reserved for higher classes. He used to start the day by playing Dvořák and finish with Elgar. Benyamin was very impressed by Rostropovich. Even he admired Heinrich Schiff, André Navarra, Pierre Fournier and Pablo Casals

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