Lelya Bayramoğulları (Türkiye)

An Ongoing Artistic Journey That Inspires Creation

Lelya Bayramoğulları is nominated for the Inspirational Story Award for a living, forward-moving artistic journey that continues to generate new creative work and engagement in 2025.

A defining feature of her nomination is direct evidence of inspiration: during the 2025 award year, multiple composers wrote new flute works dedicated specifically to her. These dedications are not symbolic gestures — they represent concrete acts of artistic response, intended for performance, recording, and long-term repertoire use.

Inspiration in Action (2025)

▪︎ Newly composed flute works dedicated to her during 2025
▪︎ Active collaboration with living composers
▪︎ Ongoing performance, teaching, and mentorship
▪︎ Promotion of contemporary repertoire and young composers

In a December 2025 interview, Bayramoğulları reflects openly on discipline, adaptability, and artistic responsibility — emphasizing longevity not as survival, but as purposeful continuation. Her belief that a musician’s most important quality is “having the longest breath” resonates strongly with students, colleagues, and composers alike.

Why Her Story Matters Now

Her inspiration lies in consistency with relevance: an artistic life that continues to motivate creation, learning, and listening without self-promotion — sustained instead by integrity, presence, and trust built over time.

Jen Townsend (United Kingdom)

Renewal, Courage, and Professional Re-Emergence

Jen Townsend is nominated for the Inspirational Story Award for an extraordinary artistic return, realized through measurable professional achievement and broad inspirational impact during 2025.

Originally trained as a flutist and accepted for postgraduate study, Townsend left the flute at 21 due to life circumstances. More than two decades later — following serious health challenges, major surgery in 2024, and a profound personal reassessment — she made a deliberate decision to return to the flute as a professional, rebuilding technique, stamina, and artistic identity from the ground up.

Artistic Achievements in 2025

▪︎ Enrollment in a Master’s degree in Music Performance (University of Leeds)
▪︎ Appointment as Principal Flute of the University Symphony Orchestra
▪︎ Performances at major London venues including St Pancras Church, St Mary-le-Strand, and St Bride’s
▪︎ London premiere of Jonathan Slade’s Sonata for Flute and Piano (with the composer)
▪︎ Selection as soloist for the Khachaturian Flute Concerto
▪︎ Semi-finalist, London Concerto Competition

Inspiration Through Programming and Presence

In 2025, Townsend curated a concert programme dedicated to composers who achieved artistic success despite adversity, including works by Angela Morley, Beethoven, and Clara Schumann. The programme has already been publicly performed and positively received, reinforcing her belief that non-linear careers deserve visibility and respect.

Her return has been independently validated by adjudicators, composers, and academic leaders, who cite her technical control, expressive sound, artistic conviction, and professionalism.

Why Her Story Matters Now

Townsend’s journey offers tangible hope grounded in action — demonstrating that artistic seriousness and contribution remain possible beyond traditional timelines. Her story has directly encouraged other musicians to resume study, performance, and creative ambition after long absences.

Two Stories, One Shared Impact

While their paths differ, both nominees embody the core purpose of the Inspirational Story Award:

Lelya Bayramoğulları inspires through continuity, influence, and the power of sustained artistic presence.

Jen Townsend inspires through renewal, courage, and the rebuilding of a professional artistic life against the odds.

Each story affirms that inspiration in the flute world is not abstract — it is visible, verifiable, and deeply human.

The international judging panel has access to the full nomination materials and supporting documentation for both nominees. Final results will be announced on January 10, 2026.