Founded in 2015 by conductor Başak Doğan, and celebrating its 10th year, Chromas takes its name from the Latin word for “colours.” Made up of singers from various cities, backgrounds, and professions, each member of Chromas brings a distinct voice and identity. This diversity is reflected in the choir’s wide-ranging repertoire, which blends multiple languages and styles, ranging from modern jazz to folk, contemporary classical to richly harmonised arrangements of contemporary popular music.
Drawing from the colourful harmonies of Eurasian culture, Chromas comes together to sing, improvise, and create music as one unified voice. Başak Doğan, always in search of new musical textures and performative experiences, aims to spark wider interest in choral music in Turkey, as well as encourage cross-genre and interdisciplinary collaboration. One of the country’s pioneers in choral music, Chromas has performed at prestigious international events including Choralies in France (2016) and the World Symposium on Choral Music in Spain (2017). Başak Doğan continues to represent Turkey at international festivals, symposiums, and choir olympiads.
Başak Doğan joins us in conversation following the concert.
About Başak Doğan
Başak Doğan is a pioneering conductor whose visionary approach is expanding the boundaries of contemporary choral music. After earning a master’s degree in Music Philosophy from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, she pursued a second master’s in Rhythmic Choir Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark. Her thesis, Intuitive Conducting, helped shape her distinctive conducting style.
Başak works with singers and choirs of all ages and backgrounds, leading a wide range of polyphonic vocal music projects, from musical theatre ensembles to educational initiatives. Under her direction, Chromas has earned numerous accolades and received international acclaim.
Renowned for her ability to bring together diverse musical genres, Başak has developed a unique conducting method centred around Vocal Painting, a dynamic system of cues that allows for real-time improvisation between the conductor and the choir. This intuitive technique fosters spontaneous, emotionally resonant performances born in the moment.
Driven by a deep commitment to integrating cultural heritage into choral music, Başak has had a significant impact in the field of rhythmic choral music. Her latest initiative, Vocal Academy, has quickly become a hub for aspiring singers and professionals seeking to grow their skills and careers. The academy has also joined the European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC), an international platform for creatives and communities.
In 2023, Başak represented Turkey on the World Choir Council and served as a jury member at the World Choir Games in South Korea. She is also the founder and artistic director of the VoiceUp A Cappella Festival, a standout project in the vocal music scene.
A passionate advocate for women’s leadership and creativity in music, Başak leads the Vocal Academy Pop & Jazz Choir and continues to build space for new choral formations under the Vocal Academy umbrella, offering an environment that nurtures both creativity and talent.
