Altay Kurtonur (b. 2007) is a composer and visual artist based in Istanbul. His artistic journey began in early childhood through drawing, classical music exposure, and a highly visual approach to perception. Raised in a culturally active environment, he was introduced to museums, opera, theater, and orchestral music at an early age, which shaped his sensitivity toward artistic structure and atmosphere.
As a teenager, he shifted his focus toward music after encountering cinematic film scoring and large-scale orchestral performance. This period marked the beginning of his independent composition practice, during which he began producing music using digital audio workstations and self-taught orchestration techniques. Over time, his output developed into a hybrid language combining orchestral writing, electronic production, and cinematic structure.
Parallel to his musical development, he continued working in visual art, developing a style centered on psychological intensity, distorted figuration, and symbolic imagery. His visual and musical practices are closely interconnected, often driven by shared emotional and conceptual frameworks rather than separate disciplines.
Kurtonur studied music at Istanbul Bilgi University on scholarship, where he continued refining his approach to composition, orchestration, and sound design while maintaining an independent artistic practice outside of academic constraints.
His work spans film music, experimental composition, and visual art projects, with a focus on long-form narrative structures and atmospheric worldbuilding. He has composed music for independent film productions and continues to develop ongoing conceptual works across multiple mediums.