Mert Pekduraner is a guitarist, composer, and bandleader born and based in Amsterdam. Playing guitar since childhood, he found his compositional voice through time spent in Turkey, where exposure to Anatolian sounds shaped his approach to melody and arrangement — leading him to integrate fretless guitar and microtonal ideas alongside the standard guitar. In 2020, he wrote "Kıyı (Side by Side)" as the main theme for the 17th Venice Biennale. His debut album, Geriye Ne Kaldı? (2021), introduced his signature melodic style, followed by the more intricately arranged Dialogues in the Dark(2022).

​

In 2023, he was invited to perform his string-driven compositions live at Babylon Istanbul for International Jazz Day, leading a nine-piece ensemble with a dedicated string section. Alongside group projects, Pekduraner performs solo across Europe on fretless and standard guitar. He has shared stages with artists including Mammal Hands, GoGo Penguin, Erkan Oğur, and Erik Truffaz, at venues such as Paris's La Péniche Anako, Amsterdam's Bethlehemkerk, the Akbank Jazz Festival, Borusan Music House, and Cappadox.

​​​

Most recently, Pekduraner collaborated with Canadian-based kanun player Didem Başar to release two live studio recordings. The collaboration brings together the guitarist's Anatolian-inflected compositional voice with the kanun's traditional textures, marking a new chapter in his cross-cultural musical explorations.