Cem Aksu was born on May 18, 1974, in Eskişehir, Türkiye. His father is a retired Air Force non-commissioned officer, and his mother is a homemaker. He has one sister and completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Eskişehir.
Aksu earned his associate degree in Foundry/Metallurgy from Anadolu University Bilecik Vocational School, his bachelor’s degree from Anadolu University Faculty of Business Administration, and his master’s degree from Bursa Technical University Graduate School of Social Sciences. He worked for many years in the private sector as a purchasing specialist and purchasing manager, and he retired in 2023.
Cem Aksu began his musical journey at a very young age in children’s choirs. He later joined the Turkish Classical Music choir at the Eskişehir Public Education Center, studying under the direction of Conductor Hüseyin Erbay. During the same period, he took oud lessons and received training in oud performance, maqam, and music theory from TRT Ankara Radio artist, oud player, composer, and choir conductor Hüseyin İpek. Through these studies, his musical path began to develop both academically and practically. For many years, he performed as an oud player in various choirs and on stage.
For nearly 20 years, Aksu has also been conducting amateur choirs. He currently serves as the artistic director and conductor of three choirs—two in Eskişehir and one in Istanbul. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with many esteemed musicians and has trained dozens of choristers, soloists, and oud performers. Dedicated to serving Turkish Music and Turkish culture throughout his life, he has carried out extensive research on the historical and sociological backgrounds of songs and folk tunes. He compiled these studies into a book titled “Songs with Identity,” which functions as both a music and sociology book, covering everything from the definition of music to period-based analyses.
In addition to his choir work in Eskişehir, Aksu also writes art and research articles for various magazines. He has a son named Enver Can Aksu.
