Inal Bilsel is a multifaceted composer, performer, and visual storyteller whose work spans over two decades and weaves together music, memory, and imagination. His compositions inhabit the spaces between fact and fiction, nostalgia and futurism, hauntology and hopeful dystopia—crafted with a deep reverence for both the intimate and the cinematic.

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With a background in classical composition and a passion for electronic music and narrative worldbuilding, Bilsel’s artistic voice is unmistakably his own. His second album, Paradise Lost (2018, Epic Istanbul), a haunting and intricate concept album, marked a major milestone. Fusing retro-futurist aesthetics with emotionally rich sonic environments, the album became the foundation for his PhD thesis, Creating Small Worlds.

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A recognized name in Cyprus’s cultural landscape, Bilsel is especially known for Tales From the Future—a series of exuberant and immersive audiovisual performances presented at major festivals and venues including Sonar Istanbul, Salon IKSV, Fengaros Reacts, Buffer Fringe, Urban Gorillas, Farma Projekt, Electric Cicadas, and more.

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His latest album, Once Upon a Cloudtop Meadow (2025), is a return to orchestral writing—an ambient, cinematic exploration of memory, childhood, and fairy tales. 

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Inal Bilsel won the grand prize of the Notion International Composition Competition (2007). His orchestral work Nilay’s Dream was performed and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. This milestone marked the beginning of a new chapter, where synthesizers, sample libraries, and computer-aided production became central tools in his creative practice. His debut album A New Beginning (2009) was the first result of that shift.

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He has also scored music for numerous short films, including A Mother’s Sonata and Free Fun by Fehmi Öztürk; The Hunt and Letters From Cyprus by Sholeh Jahrei and Kamil Saldun; and The Delivery and Random Attempts by Doğuş Özokutan and Vasvi Çiftçioğlu.

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Inal is a regular figure in the Nicosia jam scene, performing in collectives such as DeFacto Dreams, Electric Journey, Meet the Family, and Strange Sounds (and sights), often alongside musicians like Ulaş Öğüç, Naz Atun, Mete Hatay, Öktem Emre, and Onur Kasapoğlu.

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Educated at Royal Holloway, University of London and Eastern Mediterranean University, Bilsel has taught composition, music theory, multimedia, and sound design at institutions including Eastern Mediterranean University, PERA School of Contemporary Dance, and ARUCAD, where he also served as Head of the Sound Arts and Design Department.