Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç is a vocalist, guitarist, composer and producer working between London and Istanbul. In 2000, he co-founded Gevende, an experimental music band known for its distinctive musical approach.
With Gevende, Bilgiç has performed across the world, from Brazil and Portugal to the Arctic region. In 2006, he embarked on an extended overland journey from Eskişehir through Iran, Pakistan and India to Nepal. In 2015, he visited the Dukha community living near the Mongolia–Russia border, where he recorded children’s songs. His travels and encounters with different cultures have helped shape his musical approach. His vocals draw on sound and improvisation rather than a specific language, contributing to the band’s music being described by listeners as “music from Neverland”. His distinctive guitar playing has also been featured in an interview with Barry Cleveland for Guitar Player magazine.
Bilgiç composes music for film, television, theatre and dance performances, working across international productions and independent cinema. His credits include projects for Netflix and Disney, as well as productions released on other digital platforms. His feature film credits include Ivy (Sarmaşık, 2015) and Butterflies (Kelebekler), the latter winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, while his short film Leylak received the Best Narrative Short award at the Tribeca Festival. He received the Best Original Music award at the Istanbul Film Festival for Atlıkarınca (2011), his first feature film project. His score for Hakkı also received an award at the Ankara International Film Festival. The Netflix series Old Money and Yakamoz S-245, on which he worked as a composer, both appeared in Netflix’s Global Top 10.
Alongside his screen work, Bilgiç has contributed to theatre productions including Linçler ve Dudaklar and Çirkin. With Serkan Emre Çiftçi, he composed the music and created the sound design for Substratum, a live-mapping and dance performance that received an award in the music category at the UK Theatre and Technology Awards.
Bilgiç also works in film production. He served as executive producer on Psycho Therapy, an American feature film directed by Tolga Karaçelik and starring Steve Buscemi.
Alongside his solo work, Bilgiç carries out production work for film and television through London-based Comfortnoise. He founded LU Records in 2020, extending his work into music production and publishing. He is represented by Grande Ourse, a France-based music agency.
UPCOMING PROJECT:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç has begun composing the music for Eve Giden Yol, an upcoming Netflix series directed by Onur Saylak and produced by Ay Yapım. Starring Aras Bulut İynemli, the series brings Bilgiç and Saylak together in a new collaboration for the screen.
UPCOMING PROJECT:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç has completed the music for The Strange Story of Gustav Maier, an upcoming Disney+ series directed by Umut Aral and produced by MGX Film. Created by and starring Giray Altınok, the series features a vampire comedy world. Bilgiç’s score was developed in collaboration with Turgut Mavuk.
UPCOMING PROJECT:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç has begun work on the music for the second season of Old Money, continuing his collaboration with the Netflix series. The first season, directed by Uluç Bayraktar and produced by TIMS&B Productions, starred Aslı Enver and Engin Akyürek and achieved international success, reaching Netflix’s Top 10 in 74 countries in 2025.
INTERVIEW:
In an interview with Saat Farkı, Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç reflects on his musical journey with Gevende, the role of silence in music, and his approach to composing for film and television. The conversation explores the creative processes that connect his work across live performance and screen composition.
FESTIVAL:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç attended Canneseries 2026, the international series festival held in Cannes from 23 to 28 April 2026. The event brought together 20 producers, writers and creators from many different regions of the world.
INDUSTRY:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç is represented by Grande Ourse, a France-based agency specialising in film music. Grande Ourse is one of France’s leading agencies, with composers working on productions such as Emilia Pérez and Lupin. The collaboration supports the international reach of his work as a composer for film and television.
SOUNDTRACK RELEASE:
The original soundtrack for Netflix’s Old Money is now available. Composed by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç and Turgut Mavuk, the 19-track album brings together the music created for the series. In 2025, Old Money reached Netflix’s Top 10 in 74 countries, marking a significant international milestone for the production.
SOUNDTRACK RELEASE:
The original motion picture score for Hakkı, composed by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç, has been released by LU Records. The album presents the music written for Hikmet Kerem Özcan’s feature film, produced by Yumurta Yapım and Circle Project. The film’s score later received the Best Original Music award at the 35th Ankara International Film Festival.
LIVE:
Gevende celebrated its 20th anniversary with a concert at Istanbul’s Zorlu PSM. The performance marked a milestone for the band, whose distinctive sound brings together progressive rock, improvisation and influences from different musical traditions. Watch the concert recordings and revisit the performance through the complete playlist.
MUSIC RELEASE:
Gevende return with “Düş”, a new single that continues the band’s exploration of rhythm, texture and its distinctive musical language. The release adds a new chapter to the group’s evolving catalogue.
AWARDS:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç received the Best Original Music award for Hakkı at the 35th Ankara International Film Festival. The award recognised his original score for the film.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç served as an executive producer on Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer, the English-language feature written and directed by Tolga Karaçelik. Starring Steve Buscemi, Britt Lower and John Magaro, the dark comedy premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2024 before its wider release in 2025.
THEATRE:
PROJECT: Linçler ve Dudaklar
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç contributed original music and sound work to Halil Babür’s theatre production Linçler ve Dudaklar, presented as part of the Istanbul Theatre Festival.
SOUNDTRACK RELEASE:
The soundtrack for the Netflix series Who Were We Running From?, featuring music by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç & Can Saka, has been released. The album offers a standalone listen to the musical atmosphere created for the series, a Turkish thriller following a mother and daughter on the run.
INDUSTRY:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç has joined the World Soundtrack Academy as a voting member. The Academy brings together professionals working in film and television music, with members participating in voting for the annual World Soundtrack Awards. Bilgiç is listed as a WSA Voting Member on the Academy’s official website.
THEATRE:
PROJECT: Çirkin (Freak)
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç composed the music for Çirkin (Freak), an immersive theatre production presented at the Istanbul Theatre Festival.
SOUNDTRACK RELEASE:
The original soundtrack for Netflix series Yakamoz S-245, composed by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç and Can Saka, was released by Netflix Music.
AWARDS:
Leylak, featuring music by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç, won the Best Short Fiction award at the 2021 Tribeca Festival. Bilgiç also served as one of the film’s executive producers. The recognition marked an important festival milestone for the film and its creative team.
JURY:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç served on the jury for the Best Film Score Prize at the 39th Istanbul Film Festival. The jury brought together professionals from different areas of cinema to recognise emerging filmmaking talent.
JURY:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç served on the “Rebels with a Cause” competition jury at the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. His participation reflected his engagement with international cinema beyond his work as a composer.
SOUNDTRACK RELEASE:
The original score for Butterflies (Kelebekler), composed by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç, was released as a standalone soundtrack album. The music was written for Tolga Karaçelik’s film, which went on to win the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
AWARDS:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç contributed music to Substratum, an interdisciplinary performance combining dance and projection mapping. The work brought together sound, movement and projected imagery, exploring the relationship between music and visual performance. The project received awards for Best Sound Design and Best Music at the UK Theatre and Tech Awards in 2018.
AWARDS:
Tolga Karaçelik’s Butterflies (Kelebekler), featuring original music by Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç, won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The award marked a major international milestone for the film.
AWARDS:
Ahmet Kenan Bilgiç received the Best Music award at the 30th Istanbul Film Festival for Merry-Go-Round (Atlıkarınca). Directed by İlksen Başarır and produced by Most Production, the film marked an early milestone in Bilgiç’s work as a composer for cinema.
UPCOMING
29 NOVEMBER 2026 — Gevende, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall (CRR), Istanbul
