Duru Bulam, a 17-year-old student from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory, won first place in the Flutissimo 2025 Flute Competition held in Nice, France, on Jan. 30.
Although she faced visa issues preventing her from attending the event in person, Bulam participated by submitting video recordings. After being evaluated by a panel of five judges, she was unanimously awarded first place in her age category.
Bulam had applied for a visa two months before the competition. Despite her daily efforts to secure an appointment, she was unable to do so. Two weeks before the event, flute artist Sibel Kumru Pensel, a key member of the competition’s committee, arranged for Bulam and four other Turkish participants to compete remotely due to visa issues. This option allowed Bulam to submit her performance videos, ultimately leading to her success. Without this accommodation, she would have missed the competition.
The Flutissimo Flute Festival, held annually in Nice, is a prestigious event in the global flute community, offering young musicians a platform to showcase their talent. Organized by the A Travers la Flute Association, it provides invaluable international experience for participants. Pensel plays a significant role in the festival's organization.
In an interview, Bulam shared her experience: “Two months before the competition, I started trying to secure a visa appointment for France. Despite checking every day, I couldn't get an appointment. Two weeks before the event, professor Sibel Kumru Pensel offered me and four other Turkish participants the opportunity to participate remotely due to visa issues. This allowed me to record my performance and submit it. Without this chance, I wouldn’t have been able to take part in the competition or achieve this success. There were five participants in my age category, all of whom were French. It was a challenging process, but I was confident in my performance, so the victory wasn’t entirely unexpected. For the competition, I performed pieces by Gabriel Faure and Fazıl Say.
