Emre Sihan Kaleli
Composer
About
“My tales, like those of the Thousand and One Nights, are intended not to persuade readers, but to entertain and touch them.”
— Jorge Luis Borges, foreword to Brodie’s Report
Emre Sihan Kaleli is a composer living and working in Vienna. Originally from Turkey, his artistic path has taken him through Uzbekistan, the Netherlands and Austria.
His work spans chamber music, music theatre and multimedia projects, often shaped by narrative thinking and a strong sense of musical dramaturgy.
His music has been performed by Klangforum Wien, Ensemble PHACE, Cantando Admont, The Black Page Orchestra, Schallfeld Ensemble, Riot Ensemble and Nieuw Ensemble, and presented at festivals including Wien Modern, Klangspuren Schwaz and Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik.
He has received the Promotion Prize of the City of Vienna in Music (2022), the Austrian State Scholarship for Composition, First Prize at the impuls Composition Competition (2019), and the Gargonza Arts Award (2015).
SELECTED PROJECTS
ADJACENT ROOMS | Cycle for ensemble with/without electronics
Adjacent Rooms is a musical exploration inspired by the fictions of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, whose works challenge conventional ideas of time, infinity and human perception. Drawing from Borges’ recurring image of the labyrinth, the piece unfolds as a sequence of interconnected musical “rooms”: contrasting spaces that open into one another, creating a continuous yet unpredictable journey. Through sudden transformations, hidden connections and unexpected turns, the music leads listeners through a network of sonic relationships — a labyrinth that is constantly shifting and revealing new perspectives.
Adjacent Rooms, a Part of a Labyrinth II (2025)
Instrumentation
Flute, clarinet, e-guitar, percussion, piano, violin, cello, double bass, and electronics
Commissioned by
PHACE and Wien Modern
Performed by
PHACE
conducted by Clement Power
Recording in progress.
(c) Markus Bruckner (PHACE)
Adjacent Rooms, a Part of a Labyrinth I (2021)
Instrumentation
Flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, accordion, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass
Commissioned by
impuls
Performed by
Klangforum Wien
conducted by Bas Wiegers
Recording:
Adjacent Rooms, for Borges (2018)
Instrumentation
Flute, oboe, clarinet, piano, violin, viola, and cello
Commissioned by
Ensemble Reconsil
Performed by
Ensemble Reconsil
conducted by Antanina Kalechyts
Recording:
SUBTERRANEAN (2021) | Interdisciplinary collaborative performance project
SUBTERRANEAN is a collaborative performance project created by Emre Sihan Kaleli (music), Teresa Doblinger (choreography), and Sara-Lisa Bals (scenography) for the Black Page Orchestra. Through an intricate interplay of sound, movement, and light, the work investigates hidden forces and underlying mechanisms that unfold beneath the surface of systems, perceptions, and the human psyche.
Performers:
Black Page Orchestra and Guests
Video:
CHAMBER WORKS
Tongue and Trace (2025)
Instrumentation
Soprano and contrabass flute
Commissioned by
Cantando Admont
Performed by
Elina Viluma-Helling and Alessandro Baticci
Recording:
Through the Interface (2025)
Instrumentation
Violin, cello, and electronics
Commissioned and performed by
Strings&Noise
Recording:
I am a Diptych (2022)
Instrumentation
Clarinet, accordion, cello, and electronics
Commissioned and performed by
Trio Tempestoso
Recording:
A Labyrinth, A Ritual (2024)
Instrumentation
Flute, percussion, female voice, accordion
Commissioned and performed by
Audrey Perrault, Hannes Schöggl, Elina Viluma-Helling, and Maria Mogas Gensana
Recording: