Artist. Opera Singer. Born in Istanbul and raised in Vienna.

The Istanbul-born tenor Ilker Arcayürek, who grew up in Vienna, won first prize at the International Song Competition of the Hugo Wolf Academy, was a finalist at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 and is a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

He began his operatic career at the Zurich Opera Studio and subsequently became an ensemble member at Stadttheater Klagenfurt and Staatstheater Nürnberg. His roles include Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Idomeneo, Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) and Rodolfo (La Bohème), and more recently Max (Der Freischütz) and Erik (Der fliegende Holländer). Guest engagements have taken him to Teatro Real Madrid, the Munich Opera Festival, the Salzburg Festival, Volksoper Vienna and Oper Graz, among others.

Alongside opera and concert work, art song holds a special place in his artistic activities. He regularly collaborates with pianists including Simon Lepper, Malcolm Martineau, Ammiel Bushakevitz, Daniel Heide, Hartmut Höll and Wolfram Rieger. Recitals have taken him to the International Edinburgh Festival, Oper Frankfurt, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg/Hohenems, Wigmore Hall London, Schubertiada Vilabertran, deSingel Antwerp, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Life Victoria Barcelona, Innsbruck, Stuttgart (Hugo Wolf Academy), as well as to his US recital debut in New York (Park Avenue Armory) and to San Francisco. His recordings have received numerous awards and have been nominated twice for the Opus Klassik Award.

Recent engagements in 2025 included a return to Opera Vlaanderen, where he successfully debuted as Max in Weber’s Der Freischütz. He also makes his Italian debut in Milan with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano in Handel’s Messiah and tours Europe with Philippe Herreweghe and the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, including appearances at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Bozar Brussels and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.

Future engagements in the 2025/2026 season include his role debut as Erik in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at Theater Osnabrück, several concerts under Jordi Savall at Philharmonie de Paris including Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht and Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge, further appearances at Wigmore Hall London, song recitals with Malcolm Martineau at Teatro Arriaga Bilbao, Elijah with the Danish National Philharmonic in Sønderborg, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul.

İlker

Arcayürek

Opera/Lied/Concert

Among the stage directors with whom he has worked are, among others, Peter Konwitschny, Claus Guth, Mariame Clément, Christoph Marthaler, Sven-Eric Bechtolf, Kasper Holten, Barbora Horáková, David Bösch, Immo Karaman, Tobias Kratzer, Richard Brunel and Dennis Krauß.

He made his US operatic debut as Nadir in Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles at Santa Fe Opera. In 2022 he appeared as Ariel and Pater Ecstaticus in Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Further major successes include Tamino at the Canadian Opera Company Toronto, appearances at the International Edinburgh Festival 2023, and performances in Tokyo (Bunkamura) in 2024 with Bach Collegium Japan.

On the concert platform, Ilker Arcayürek regularly collaborates with renowned orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Tonkünstler Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, WDR Symphony Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Orchestre National de Lyon, Danish Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

He has performed under conductors including Mariss Jansons, Ivor Bolton, Philippe Jordan, Marin Alsop, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Philippe Herreweghe, Riccardo Minasi, Laurence Equilbey, Marie Jacquot, Mikhail Pletnev, Lars Vogt, Masato Suzuki, Ádám Fischer, Maxim Emelyanychev, Matthias Janz, Oksana Lyniv, Jordi Savall, Stephan Zilias and Dennis Russell Davies.

Download

Press

"Fritz-wunderlichhaft, unmittelbar interpretiert von Ilker Arcayürek"

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , Heidelberger Frühling

Of the “straight” characters, perhaps the most effective was Ilker Arcayürek's Tamino. He is a very stylish singer. His “Dies Bildnis” was lovely and throughout he maintained a pleasing blend of beautiful tone and expressiveness coupled with convincing acting.

Bachtrack - The Magic Flute - Canadian Opera Company Toronto

"Turkish-born Austrian tenor Ilker Arcayürek displayed an affinity with the French technique of leggiero singing, with a superb performance of Nadir’s hauntingly beautiful aria «Je crois entendre encore»."

Opera Warhorses, Santa Fe Opera

“In a class on his own: Ilker Arcayürek has the kind of airy, easily ringing tenor that puts across words beautifully, with power in reserve yet a hint of vulnerability too.”

The Guardian - Der Einsame CD Review

★★★★★

"Tenor Ilker Arcayürek überzeugt in der Rolle des Rodolfo durch sensibles Spiel, edle Bühnenerscheinung und sichere Stimmkultur."

BR-Klassik - La Boheme - Staatstheater Nürnberg

"Through this journey through the songs of Schubert, Ilker Arcayürek brought an abundance of emotion, making for a wonderful showcase of his vocal artistry."

Opera Wire, Park Armory New York

"Tenor Ilker Arcayürek possesses the elements necessary to make Schubert’s worlds come to life. His modesty and sincerity allow the music to speak for itself [...] His handsome voice, flawlessly produced [...] Mr Arcayürek is a superlative artist ..."

Classical Voice, Park Armory New York

"... die Titelpartie singt Ilker Arcayürek. Der ist ein wirklich toller Sängerdarsteller, ..."

Süddeutsche Zeitung, Idomeneo Staatstheater Nürnberg

"Am eindrücklichsten ist Ilker Arcayürek in der Titelrolle [...] importiert sein Charakterporträt eines echten jugendlichen, wiewohl gebrochenen Kerls, dem die breite, gedeckte, zuweilen fahlfarbige Klanglichkeit gut steht."

Opernwelt - Idomeneo - Staatstheater Nürnberg

"This BBC New Generation Artist sings with such freshness and sincerity that even his melancholy is sweetly compelling [...] There is immense potential from this tenor, who has clearly worked hard to get inside these songs, yet doesn’t overburden the poetry with too many artful effects. Schubert, who saw his songs performed casually in living rooms among friends, would love this wonderfully intimate recording."