: 6 April. Anatolian folk music with Eléonore Fourniau
Special online workshop for the Zona da Zanfona Spring Masterclasses in April-May of 2026. Taught by Eléonore Fourniau, singer and multi-instrumentalist from France specialized on Kurdish and Turkish culture who will teach folk music for the hurdy-gurdy from these traditions in the Anatolian Peninsula, modern Turkey.
The two hours workshop include material for further study to understand the tradition and the way to play it on the hurdy-gurdy with very interesting topics on cultural background, tuning, microtonality, modes, irregular rhythmics for the coup the poignet, etc.
This is a masterclass suitable for all levels.
Details:
- Type: online + extra study material
- Duration: 2 hours
- Times: 6 pm to 8 pm (UTC+2 or Central European Summer Time)
- Date: Sunday 5th of April 2026
- Language: English
- Enquiries: matricula@folque.com
- Fee: 35€ + banking fee (2 €) Discount for all 4 sessions: 120 € (+ banking fee)
- Registration: ZdZ’26 Series here
About the masterclass
This workshop offers an immersion into the traditional music of Anatolia through the practice of the hurdy-gurdy. Inspired by Turkish and Kurdish repertoires, it is intended for hurdy-gurdy players who are curious to explore new modes, new ornamentations, and different ways of approaching melody and rhythm.
During the workshop, Eléonore Fourniau will share her experience gained within the musical communities of Anatolia. The work will focus on learning pieces from popular traditions, with explanations of the modes, characteristic ornaments, and the various wind and string instruments that have influenced her hurdy-gurdy playing, all with the aim of adapting the hurdy-gurdy to these musical aesthetics. Particular attention will be given to the different grooves and irregular rhythms (5/8, 7/8, 9/8, 10/8) and to their execution on the hurdy-gurdy.
The workshop will also include moments of discussion about the cultural contexts and musical practices of Anatolia.
Open to hurdy-gurdy players of all levels, this workshop invites participants to discover another way of making the hurdy-gurdy sing.
About the teacher
Since 2010, Eléonore Fourniau has built her life within Kurdish and Alevi communities in Turkey and in the diaspora, establishing herself on the international stage as a Kurdish artist in her own right. Coming from a family of historians specializing in Central Asia, she spent part of her adolescence in Uzbekistan, where she learned Russian.
With a father who speaks Occitan, she was exposed from an early age to traditional music and regional languages. Trained in piano from the age of seven, she discovered the hurdy-gurdy at nineteen. While studying Russian and History at the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon, she obtained the French Agrégation in History in 2010 at the age of 23. That same year, with her hurdy-gurdy on her back, she bought a one-way ticket to Turkey and ultimately stayed for six years. During that time, she founded the groups OKSIT and ESMAN, as well as a duo with Mercan Erzincan. Through academic encounters (including studies at the ITU State Conservatory), traditional master-apprentice relationships, and friendships, she developed a deep connection with these cultures and passionately studied languages (Turkish and Kurdish), singing, and the saz.
In 2016, she received the Best Music Award at the Altın Portakal Film Festival for the award-winning film Cold of Kalandar. From that year onward, she began sharing the stage with Kurdish singer Mikail Aslan.
She launched her solo career in 2017 and performs with her hurdy-gurdy and saz at numerous community events and world music festivals across Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, Poland, etc.) and internationally (India, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Australia, etc.). Performing in a trio with Efren Lopez and Sylvain Barou—sometimes expanded to a quintet—she has captivated a wide audience with an artistic approach that is both authentic and original.
Committed to highlighting the power of women’s voices, she co-founded two vocal ensembles: the vocal trio Samaïa (polyphonic music, with two albums released in 2018 and 2023) and the quartet TELLI TURNALAR (Anatolian music, active since 2016), whose first album will be released in 2026.
In 2023, she collaborated as a soloist and hurdy-gurdy player with Sami Yusuf at the Philharmonie de Paris. In March 2024, she released her first album of Kurdish music, Neynik, followed by a tour that included the ancient theatre stage of the Festival des Suds in Arles. In 2024, she was awarded the Jury’s Special Prize at the Prix des Musiques d’Ici. In 2025, she co-founded a new group of eight musicians, including singers Dafné Kritharas, Jaklin Baghdasaryan (Ladaniva), and Emma Pratt.
She is currently preparing her second album. Alongside her musical career, she is passionate about teaching and regularly leads workshops and courses related to her musical practices.
Website: https://eleonorefourniau.com/