Yunus Akbas

Yunus began his formal piano studies at the age of five and has maintained a lifelong commitment to the instrument alongside his vocal career. He attended a performing arts high school, where he shifted his primary focus to voice while continuing to refine his pianistic skills. He went on to pursue vocal performance at Haliç University in Istanbul, where his studies led to extensive performance opportunities throughout Turkey. During this time, he appeared on national television programs such as Rising Stars and The Voice, and performed in major venues across Bodrum, Izmir, and Istanbul.

After transitioning from pop to operatic repertoire, Yunus was accepted into the prestigious Opera Institute at Boston University on a full scholarship. Following his graduation, he completed his first young artist program with Portland Opera, where he performed the role of Dandini (La Cenerentola) more than 60 times in performances across the Pacific Northwest.

Recent performance credits include The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace (Charles Babbage), If I Were You (Paul), Così fan tutte (Guglielmo), Our Town (Mr. Webb), Little Women (John Brooks), Alcina (Melisso), and La Cenerentola (Dandini). In 2023, Yunus received an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Los Angeles District.

In addition to his work as a performer, Yunus is an accomplished pianist and a dedicated chess instructor, and he competes regularly in tournament chess.