ozcanz@icloud.com , instagram

Department of Performing Arts Technology, School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

PAT 101: First Year Seminar in Media Arts.
PAT 200/500: Introduction to Electronic Music Production.
PAT 204/504: Creative Coding.
PAT 315: Diversity in Music Technology.
PAT 455/555: Sound and Installation Art.
PAT 510: Graduate Seminar in Performing Arts Technology.

Summer 2020 - present. Faculty Director – Girls in Music and Technology (GiMaT) summer camp. University of Michigan, Department of Performing Arts Technology, School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Winter 2021. Capstone Advisor. Generating Pop Songs through Machine Learning and Algorithms. David Wang. College of Engineering Honors Program. University of Michigan.

May 21 - September 10, 2020. Faculty Advisor. Sonic Scenographies. Projects: Patch/Work & Virtual Venues. University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, ArtsEngine, and School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

March 2020, Novemeber 2021. Guest Lecturer - Anthrocul 357: Sonic Cultures. University of Michigan, Department of Anthropology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
November 2024. ATMI/CMS National Convention. DEI and Student Well-being in Music Technology Education. with Alexandria Smith, Adam Vidiksis and Jiayue Cecilia Wu.
October 2024. AES Show. DEI work in Audio Engineering Higher Education. with Mary Mazurek, Alexandria Smith and Jiayue Cecilia Wu.
April 2024. Spectral Snapshots: Celebrating Diversity in Audio-Visual Coding Workshop with Dr. Visda Goudarzi at Columbia College Chicago.

May 2022. Spring Soundwalk . Ann Arbor District Library.
May 2022. Resonating. Concordia University, Departmant of Music, Electroacoustic Studies. Montreal, QC, Canada.
April 2022. Creating with Interactive Media. Department of Music Technology. NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
March 2022. Foundations of Processing and working with Sound Library. Columbia College Chicago, Audio Arts and Acoustics Department, School of Media Arts.

September 2021 Max Meetup. Music Hackspace.
February 2021. Sound. Saturday Show. Season 2, Episode 7 - The Senses.Ann Arbor District Library.
February 2021. Creative Coding with Processing. AUDI 314-01: New Musical Interface Design. Columbia College Chicago, Audio Arts and Acoustics Department, School of Media Arts.

January 2020. Winter Soundwalk. Ann Arbor District Library Secret Lab Coding Program.

Fall 2019. Juror. Architecture x Carillon research/design interdisciplinary Workshop. An Archi-Musical Reimagination of the Belltower Typology. University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning and School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Fall 2014. Soundwalk . PA 483: Sensing Cities. Bogaziçi University, Department of Fine Arts.
Spring 2014. Architectural Design Studio 6|7: Urban Sound: Design Experiments for Sound Augmented Spaces Class. Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture.
July 24 - August 14, 2021 Instructor. Intro to Audiovisuals. Women in Sound (WiS), New York, NY. The program is open to women-identifying, trans and non-binary people and our aim is to create equal access to learning and offer an affordable college level education.
May 2021. Instructor. Coding for Music: Synthesizing with Max. PART II. Women in Sound (WiS), New York, NY. The program is open to women-identifying, trans and non-binary people and our aim is to create equal access to learning and offer an affordable college level education.
April 2021. Instructor. Coding for Music: Synthesizing with Max. Women in Sound (WiS), New York, NY. The program is open to women-identifying, trans and non-binary people and our aim is to create equal access to learning and offer an affordable college level education.
February 2021. Instructor. Composing Electronic Music. Women in Sound (WiS), New York, NY. The program is open to women-identifying, trans and non-binary people and our aim is to create equal access to learning and offer an affordable college level education.
January 2021. Instructor. Composing Electronic Music. Women in Sound (WiS), New York, NY. The program is open to women-identifying, trans and non-binary people and our aim is to create equal access to learning and offer an affordable college level education.

I am interested in exploring bio-inpsired ceativity; playfulness and failure in performance; community-engaged research; autoethnographic methodology; feminist epistemology and sonic cyberfeminisms.

ZAP! is an interactive biomimetic installation that reimagines how electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) live, hunt, and communicate by creating electromagnetic fields (EMF) around their bodies, serving as an extended sense of touch. This work conceptualizes the physical, auditory, and communicative aspects of electrocommunication and brings them to life in an interactive large-scale multimedia installation. The installation showcases a real-time simulation of the eel’s behavior within varying environmental conditions of the Amazonian habitat. It composes this immersive environment through three spatial layers: the architectural sculpture, the live-generated sound engine, and spectator interactions that interfere with the autonomous artificial environment.

Walking Her Path (Soundwalk Workshop): The first part of this work, "Walking Her Path | Hearing Her Path," centers around a public soundwalk workshop. Participants will engage in the exploration of their sonic environment, with a focus on listening from a perspectives shaped by the experiences of womanhood and gender dynamics.
Hearing Her Path: The second part of the project is dedicated to transforming the collected sound recordings into an audiovisual work that illuminates the ideas and themes from the soundwalk workshop.

Play and Failure in Music Performance through Sonification of Movement.

Customs and Borders is a transducer-based interactive performance. Objects symbolic of immigration, such as a passport and a stamp punch hole, are utilized to amplify the tangible artifacts of border crossing. The performance explores social identities and playfulness.

Performance Ecosystem.

Proprius is an autonomous interactive sound environment, where the sonification of animal behavior within an ecological simulation is used to create an interactive augmented reality music composition. The consecutive layers of a food chain are used as movements that dictate the temporal progression of the composition. The listener explores a physical space augmented with Proprius to experience the compositional unfolding of the ecosystem. The listener’s presence in the system affects nearby organisms; the listener is thereby situated as an interactive agent that contributes to the progression of the work.

Özcan, Z. 2019. "Polytopes" in İnci Aslanoğlu İçin Bir Mimarlık Dizimi (eng: An Architectural Index for the memory of İnci Aslanoğlu), Middle East Technical University Faculty of Architecture Press, Ankara, Turkey.

Özcan, Z. 2025. "Interactive Playfulness in ‘Customs and Borders’: A Performance Study" in Proceedings of the 50th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). Boston, MA, US.

Özcan, Z. and Sarımehmetoğlu İ. 2025. "ZAP!: Bio-Inspired Large-Scale Multimedia Installation" in Proceedings of the 50th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). Boston, MA, US.

Quintanilla Cabrera, N., and Özcan Z. 2025. "Inward Voices, Outward Struggles: Electroacoustic Music Composition for a Hybrid Audio Diffusion System" in Proceedings of the 50th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). Boston, MA, US.

Luckhoff, P and Özcan, Z. 2025. “Expressions of Selfhood through Interactions with Vocal Technology”. Proceedings of the AES (Audio Engineering Society) International Conference on Breaking the Barries in Audio, virtual.

Piane, N and Özcan, Z. 2025. “Music for the Masses: Expanding Diversity in Music Technology Through Representation and Sonic Empowerment”. Proceedings of the AES (Audio Engineering Society) International Conference on Breaking the Barries in Audio, virtual.

Wolfe, N and Özcan, Z. 2025. “CROSSFADE Collective: Connecting Diverse Creatives”. Proceedings of the AES (Audio Engineering Society) International Conference on Breaking the Barries in Audio, virtual.

Özcan, Z and Çamcı, A. 2024. "Juggling for Beginners: Embracing and Fabricating Failure as Musical Expression" in Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME 2024). Utrecht, NL.

Özcan, Z. 2024. "Resilience in Color: Sonic Portrayals of Women’s Resistance" in Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD 2024). Troy, NY, US.

Özcan, Z and Çamcı, A. 2019. “Compositional Considerations in the Design of an Interactive Agent-based Musical Ecosystem”. Proceedings of the 45th International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), New York, NY, US.

Özcan, Z. and Çamcı, A. 2018. “An Augmented Reality Music Composition Based on the Sonification of Animal Behavior”. Proceedings of the AES International Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality, Redmond, WA, US.

Özcan, Z. 2015. “A History of Future Art From Xenakis to Wagner”. Continuum 2015-16: From Xenakis to the Present Day: The Continuum in Music and Architecture. University of Rouen, France.

Çamcı, A., Özcan, Z., and Pehlevan, D. 2015. “Interactive Virtual Soundscapes: A Research Report”. Proceedings of the 41st International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), Denton, TX, US.

Özcan, Z. 2018. Proprius: Sonification of Animal Behavior in an Autonomous Interactive Musical Ecosystem. (Doctoral dissertation). Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Özcan, Z. 2013. Intersection of Architecture and Music as Gesamtkunstwerk in Iannis Xenakis’s Selected Works. (M.A Thesis). Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.

Özcan, Z. 2012. Değiş-Tokuş. TMMOB Mimarlar Odası Ankara Şubesi, Ankara. (Children’s Literature)

Özcan, Z. 2019. Connotation. MIAM Electroacoustic. Lila Müzik.
Özcan, Z. 2019. Zone. A noise compilation. Sanri Zine.

Özcan, Z. 2013-2015. Various articles in architectural magazines. Boyut Publishing Group.
Özcan, Z. 2013. “Mahallenizin galerisi: Torun” (Galery Review), Radikal.
Özcan, Z. 2013. “Tiyatroda Ankara atağı: Stüdyo Cer” (Modern Arts Center Review), Radikal.

under review. Beşinci Madde. (eng: Fifth Matter) (Scary, science fiction and fantasy, dystopian fiction stories for early teens).
under review. Kavin’in Yolculuğu. (Eng: Kavin’s Journey) (Fantasy Fiction Children’s Litterature).

I believe that my interest in storytelling is also reflected in my compositions. I like to imagine various scenarios and then use sound to shape them.

Yörük (Zeybek Rhythms on Bells) uses the carillon's range to mimic traditional Zeybek instruments while incorporating the pulsating 9/8 rhythmic Zeybek dance pattern. In Turkish, 'Yörük' refers to a Turkish ethnic group, mostly known for their nomadic lifestyle. The title highlights the piece's folk influences.

Octophonic
Cross-Pollination" is an electronic music composition inspired by the analogies found in nature's cross-pollination process. Composer blends bee recordings, modular synthesis, and granular synthesis. In the composition, bees play a vital role as carriers of pollen to both the granular synth and the modular synth. Their buzzing becomes the link between nature's cross-pollination and the digital- analog fusion of sounds. As we listen, we are immersed in the sounds the bees create, resonating with the intricate connections between nature and technology. The composition celebrates the interconnectedness of these elements, creating a sonic experience.

15-channel sound and light installation.
Cul-de-Sac Flyer is the newest route in this town. It starts from Chicago stops at two destinations and leads nowhere.

20-channel Acousmonium.
Each sound (20 different entities in my imagination) is designed for separate speakers, but each channel is considered to be laid out in a linear fashion where one sound could only travel into adjacent channels, implying a strict directionality. However, the loudspeakers for the performance are placed on separate levels and asymmetrical spots in the construction in a non-linear fashion. Furthermore, when the piece travels in space, the structure itself adds various effects beyond what the composition affords and further interrupts the linearity of the sonic trajectories. Through the specialization scheme I follow for the performance of the piece, I aim to obscure the trajectories I determined during the composition process. By blurring these trajectories with an uneven dispersion of speakers and the resonant characteristics of the structure, I choreograph a metaphor for how an individual’s path should be ambiguous and distinctive. Still, through close listening, the audience can untangle this ambiguity and recognize the underlying trajectories that are deeply embedded into the composition.

As if I didn’t is a made up soundscape of a dream. Composed of field recordings, it tells a story of an individual’s struggle with waking up, as the person in the composition tries to find her way through a synthetic environment of abstract and real objects. The piece starts with a gloomy atmosphere that includes very few representational sounds. But as the piece moves forward, a balance between concrete and abstract sounds emerge to signal the individuals’ “ascent” to consciousness, This consciousness, however, swings back and forth between reality and a dream. The final gesture blows the whistle on the narrative of the piece.

Connotation is composed from the recorded material (e.g. trumpet) that has been electronically manipulated and Frequency Modulation implemented in MAX. I tried to eliminate the source of the sound as much as possible. Instead of following a story that I try to tell, this time, I wanted the audience imagine based on their previous experiences about sound. Additionally, I tried to impose traditional musical form to create a sense of structure and association.

Suck your blood is about a busy mosquito which tries to find a human to feed on blood and then takes the blood to the blood factory where all other mosquitoes are uniting.

Butka can be used as referring to the elite in Lubunca which is the language/argot of Turkey’s LGBTQ community. Butka is usually used for smarty, brag, beautiful or rich people. Depending on the context, it can be used as an insult, a desire for something or implying high class (in a sarcastic way) events or people. I used a scripted scenario and performer (a hidden audience) during the performance. The performer used the script and improvised. During the performance, we listen to the ideas of the performer about the concert they are currently in. At the beginning of the piece, thier phone rings and they realize that they don't remember how they got there. After a while, they realize that they hear their own voice in the composition. The piece was performed in no-light environment with a seated audience. After the performance, the lights turned on and I showed the audience the performer who sat in the middle of them. Some of them looked surprised. One of them (the one who sat next to the performer) told me that he thought I used wave field synthesis because he heard the takings in the composition as if someone was sitting next to him (which literally was the case). I also observed that some of the audience tried to silence the performer during the performance because they thought they were being disrespectful by talking on the phone with someone else (that was also part of the script).

Inconnu. ICMC-NYCEMF: International Computer Music Conference and New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival.

Connotation. New Music Central – Electronic Music from Turkey. University of Canterbury School of Music, New Zealand.

Proprius. The Comfy Show with Trixie Light and Dental Drill. UK Radio Podcast.

Proprius. Processing Community Day: Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor District Library, Michigan.

As If I didn’t. Istanbul Soundscape Project: Haydarpaşa’da Bir Gar. Istanbul, Turkey.

As If I didn’t. ISEA: International Symposium on Electronic Art. Manizales, Colombia.

Monad v0.3 by Cem Çakmak. ALGORAVE 2017: Algorave (Algorithmic rave) 5th birthday live stream. performed with Cem Çakmak.

As If I didn’t. NSEME: The National Student Electronic Music Event. Louisiana State University, US.

As If I didn’t. Istanbul Soundscape Project‎: Haydarpaşa’da Bir Gar. Istanbul, Turkey.

Connotation. MIAM Surroundscapes Quadrophonic Sessions. Istanbul, Turkey.

Connotation. ICIT SYMPOSIUM 2016 New Expressions: Women in Music Technology University of California, Irvine, CA, US.

Inconnu. Norient exhibition: Seismographic Sounds – Visions from a New World ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Vertigo match#2 by Maya Felixbrodt. Sa.ne.na + Korhan Erel IDM Project (Berlin Preview) + MIAM Experimental Performed by The Team: Ivan Arion Karst – Euphonium, Amy Salsgiver – Vibraphone, Boran Mert – Baglama, Sibil Arsenyan – Conductor, Zeynep Özcan – Electronics, Maya Felixbrodt – Viola.

Inconnu (20-channel acousmonium). MIAM Sonic Arts Acousmonium. Istanbul, Turkey.

As If I didn’t. Limerick Conference: Urban Soundscapes and Critical Citizenship. Echo-Locations: Sounds of Elsewhere Sound Installation. Limerick University, Ireland.

Suck Your Blood. Journey of Sound 7: Young Composers Festival. Süreyya Opera House. Istanbul, Turkey.

Hearsay. Identities – An interdisciplinary approach, International Graduate Student Conference. Istanbul, Turkey.

Connotation. Ogen/blik #2. Het Nutshuis, The Hague, Netherlands.

Connotation. Electrosonic City 4.0 Akbank Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.