21.11.2025 13:21
A 10-year-old boy with "absolute pitch," Yusufhan Çakır, who lives in the Çarşamba district of Samsun, has qualified to receive the diploma from the Royal School of Music at the high school level, part of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Yusufhan Çakır stated, "It took me 2 years to complete the school, but in the end, I achieved success and graduated with high results. My goal for the future is to be both a pianist and an engineer."
Yusufhan Çakır, who lives in the Çarşamba district of Samsun and has "perfect pitch," earned the diploma of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) at the high school level from the Royal Academy of Music (ARSM) at the age of 10.
CAN PLAY AFTER LISTENING A FEW TIMES
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while spending time at home, Yusufhan Çakır's father, Süleyman Çakır, asked his 5-year-old son to play the folk song "Uzun ince bir yoldayım" on the piano. After listening to the song a few times, young Yusufhan was able to play it on the piano, and later, after listening to famous composers like Frederic Chopin and Mozart, he succeeded in transcribing their works into sheet music.
Noticing his talent in this field, his family started to provide Yusufhan with education. In 2023, he performed Isaac Yakovich Berkovich's Piano Concerto in D Major with the Batumi Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, he interpreted J.S. Bach's Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor BWV 1052 with the same orchestra.
GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 10
The child pianist successfully passed the Grade 8 Piano Exam and the Grade 5 Theory Exam of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) at the high school level at the age of 10. Çakır earned the diploma, which is recognized in 60 countries in the field of music.
BECAME WORLD CHAMPION IN PIANO
Çakır also participated in the Vivaldi International Music Competition Concert held this year, where he won the world championship award in the piano category.
"MY GOAL IS TO BE BOTH A PIANIST AND AN ENGINEER"
Yusufhan Çakır stated that he took the Grade 8 Piano Exam and the Grade 5 Theory Exams of the Royal Academy of Music last September.
Expressing that he successfully completed the exams, Yusufhan Çakır said, "I graduated from high school and I am motivated. It took me 2 years to finish school, but in the end, I achieved success and passed with high results. The theory exam is a requirement to pass the Grade 8 Piano Exam. I also completed this exam with a high score. I graduated from high school at the age of 10. My goal in the future is to be both a pianist and an engineer. I am also very interested in engineering topics."
Çakır mentioned that he celebrated his 11th birthday last month and said: "This year, I participated in the Vivaldi International Music Competition Concert. Here, I also received the world championship award. I had the honor of playing the piano twice with the Batumi Symphony Orchestra. Playing in an orchestra with adults excited me a lot. My goal is to become a world-renowned pianist like Fazıl Say. Even though I am only 11 years old, I am also composing. I am currently preparing a composition."
"YUSUFHAN HAS A TALENT TO PLAY WHAT HE HEARS"
Mother Gökçe Çakır stated that they operated a private music school but closed it during the COVID-19 pandemic and brought the piano home.
Emphasizing that Yusufhan first encountered the piano at home, Gökçe Çakır noted:
"During the pandemic, Yusufhan's talent emerged. Since he didn't go out for two years, at the age of 5, Yusufhan learned to play the piano on his own. He started taking lessons at a special education center at the age of 7. It quickly became apparent that he had exceptional talent and perfect pitch. In other words, Yusufhan has a talent to play what he hears. Most recently, he passed the Grade 8 Piano Exam of the world-renowned Royal Academy of Music in England, earning a high school diploma recognized in 60 countries. He achieved this success at the age of 10. Another thing that made us proud is that he won first place in the Vivaldi International Music Competition, which was held online and attracted thousands of participants from every country in the world."
Mother Çakır added that Yusufhan continues his education in Turkey and is a 6th-grade student.