Biography
The Bonn-based jazz singer Ayça Miraç draws inspiration from her Turkish (paternal) and Laz
(maternal) roots, blending them with European and American influences to create a unique
symbiosis of tradition and modernity. Ayça's name can be translated as "shimmering like the moon“
and together with her bandmates she crafts a highly emotional musical language, allowing her voice
to shine freely.
Growing up in the Ruhr area in a multicultural, bilingual environment, she was profoundly
influenced from an early age by the improvised piano sounds and stories of her father, the poet and
author Yaşar Miraç. Actively encouraged by her mother to pursue her musical interests and talents,
she laid the foundation for her initial (jazz) vocal studies, which she completed at the ArtEZ
University of the Arts in the Netherlands. She later pursued further studies in vocal pedagogy and
education at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.
Through annual summer stays at her parents' second home by the Bosphorus, Ayça developed a
close connection to Istanbul, whose unique position as a vibrant metropolis between East and West
strongly shaped her musical approach. During her studies, she began exploring her cultural roots
more deeply alongside the American jazz tradition, which is particularly reflected in her own
arrangements of traditional Turkish songs and some original compositions.
After her first tour in Turkey and completing her studies abroad, she moved temporarily to Cologne,
where in 2016 she formed her current quartet with musicians Philipp Grußendorf (double bass),
Henrique Gomide (piano), and Marcus Rieck (drums). Following Ayça's vision, their compositions
and arrangements, along with their improvisational development within the band, organically
combine ancient Eastern and Western traditions with modern jazz influences.
Her debut album "Lazjazz," released in 2018 by Jazzhaus Records (Germany) and by the major
label Dogan Music Company (Turkey), is conceived as an eclectic sound bridge between European,
American, and Turkish-Laz cultural spheres, celebrating the resulting multicultural richness. It’s
been received positively both in Germany and Turkey.
Since the beginning of her career, Ayça has performed at numerous national and international
venues, including Nikolaisaal, the Essen Philharmonic, Villa Hügel, and Nardis Jazz Club
(Istanbul). A concert at Rudolstadt Festival was broadcast live by WDR3. In 2019, her quartet won
first place at the Creole competition and received the prestigious "Musikkulturen NRW" funding.
Her music is regularly played on the radio (WDR, SWR, DLF, MDR, HR, TRT, RBB) and in 2024 a
whole radio show has been dedicated to her on Turkish radio station TRT 3.
Ayça is also passionately committed to preserving the Laz culture, an endangered minority in the
South Caucasus, whose orally transmitted songs are part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage
(e.g. within the Lazebura e.V. association).