“Classical music can feel like a fairly solitary pursuit at school, so competitions like the National Youth Music Competition (NYMC) are one of the few places where I get to be surrounded by other young people who take it just as seriously as I do.”
These are the words of cellist Dilara Yilmaz, a 16-year-old Grade 11 learner at De La Salle Holy Cross College in Victory Park, Johannesburg. She is making her maiden appearance at the annual contest – the 42nd since its inception.
Hailing from Westcliff, the emerging star believes that through the NYMC she will gain valuable performance experience. “I want to share what I love about classical music with an audience and convey the composer’s message,” she says passionately.
She is one of the six cellists who have been selected to play in the four elimination rounds at Endler Hall in Stellenbosch in December.
Dilara started piano lessons when she was three years old under Jean-Pierre Calitz. Three years later she picked up the violin with Isabella Bonnet and briefly tried flute and clarinet at the age of seven. “The woodwinds weren’t for me. I played the violin until I was 12 before switching to the cello.”
Currently she plays the piano and the cello. Peta-Ann Holdcroft is her cello tutor and Elise Lemmer is her piano teacher. She loves both instruments equally.
She is the only active musician in her family. Neither of her parents plays an instrument, and though her older brother used to play the piano, he never pursued it seriously.
The late cellist Jacqueline du Pré is her musical role model. “She was an extraordinary cellist, and the raw emotion she brought to every piece continues to inspire how I want to play,” she enthuses.
According to Dilara, she aims to practise for at least two hours a day. “If school gets too demanding on a given day, I make sure to make up the time over the weekend.”
The talented musician boasts a wide range of extramural activities and hobbies. She loves being outdoors, hiking and cycling. Dilara also plays football, chess or bridge, and she enjoys reading nonfiction, drawing and coding.
The energetic teen has two favourite composers, namely Frédéric Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninoff. “There’s a real beauty and elegance to their music that I love. Both of them capture the deepest feelings of the human heart, and that’s what I connect with most,” she ponders.
She is not entirely certain about her future, but she would love to pursue engineering, particularly something involving circuits or hardware design. “Whatever path I take, I hope music stays a part of my life alongside it and not something I leave behind.”
Should she be able to be an inanimate object, Dilara would like to be a pair of glasses.
“I only started wearing glasses in July of this year, and they’ve already become tied to my identity. Just like glasses help me see things clearly, I want to approach life the same way, with clarity and purpose.”
She describes herself as passionate, and her motto in life is: “Worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace.”