About

Born in 2005 in Antalya, Turkey, Zeynep Lal Kara began piano studies at the age of four and was accepted into the Mediterranean University State Conservatory at seven. Under the guidance of Gökçe Göktepe, she performed extensively in recitals, festivals, and benefit concerts across Turkey, establishing herself early as a disciplined and expressive performer.

Her musicianship earned top prizes at international piano competitions in Vienna, Tbilisi (Georgia), Izmir, Istanbul, and Antalya, and she participated in masterclasses with Freddy Kempf, Hüseyin Sermet, and Sergey Schepkin.

Zeynep later continued her education in the United States at The Berkshire School in Massachusetts, where she deepened her focus on performance, collaboration, and ensemble work. She frequently served as music director and accompanist in the school’s annual Cabaret and Capriccio concerts—programs celebrating classical and American song traditions—and contributed to the music department’s theatrical productions. She graduated with Distinction in Performing Arts and received the Ernest L. Wakefield Prize for Excellence in Music.

Now based in Boston, she is a Dean’s List and Merit Scholarship recipient at the Berklee College of Music, double-majoring in Piano Performance and Contemporary Writing & Production, with a minor in Film & Media Scoring. She has performed at Lincoln Center, the Berklee Performance Center, the Boston Center for the Arts, Redroom at Café 939, and with the Antalya Symphony Orchestra, including featured appearances in Keys Fest and The Ensemble Pianist Series, alongside numerous solo recitals and collaborations.

She received the Charlie Puth × BIC Award, performing live at Lincoln Center, and has been honored with the SKÅL International Achievement Award for Artistic Excellence and the Arif Mardin Scholarship from the American Turkish Society. Her artistry has also been recognized through the Berklee Contemporary Classical Performance Award and the Berklee Piano Department Chair Award, both accompanied by merit-based scholarships for exceptional achievement.

Her musical theatre work includes performances and music direction for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Legally Blonde, Rent, The Addams Family, Looking Back, and CurtainUp 2025 at the Berklee Performance Center, as well as multiple appearances with Broadway Band productions. Her upcoming release, “408,” a jazz piano–drum duo—inspired by Kapustin’s Etude Op. 40 No. 8, reflects her evolving synthesis of rhythmic precision, harmonic sophistication, and contemporary expression.