Musician, Poet & Multidisciplinary Artist
Leyla Mei Parker is a musician, poet, and multidisciplinary artist whose work moves between sound, language, and cultural memory.
Her artistic journey began at the age of ten in Vorarlberg, Austria, when she first encountered the saxophone during a school presentation of orchestral instruments. One sound was enough — she fell in love instantly. What started as fascination became devotion.
She studied classical saxophone for over a decade at Musikschule Tonart in Hohenems, building a strong technical foundation while performing in orchestral and ensemble settings. Alto saxophone became her first voice, later expanding to tenor and baritone saxophone. Music theory examinations up to the Silver certification level further shaped her formal education.
Breaking Away to Find an Authentic Path
At seventeen, Leyla Mei left Vorarlberg and moved to Vienna in search of artistic freedom and independence. Her initial vision was to study jazz saxophone professionally. She continued her education at Musikschule Donaustadt, studying jazz saxophone and piano while deepening her understanding of improvisation and contemporary music.
However, her attempt to enter the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK) revealed the structural barriers of institutional art spaces. Being told she lacked the financial backing and support system to succeed became a defining moment — not of defeat, but of clarity.
Rather than forcing herself into an environment that did not align with her path, she chose to build her own.
From Technique to Expression
The encounter with musician and arranger Ramona Kasheer marked a creative turning point. Through this collaboration, Leyla Mei stepped into her voice as a lead singer, songwriter, and composer.
Her focus gradually shifted toward soprano saxophone — an instrument whose tone mirrors the intimacy and vulnerability of her lyrical expression. Under the mentorship of Georg Graf she refined her artistic language beyond genre boundaries.
Poetry as Survival & Creation
Parallel to her musical development, Leyla Mei has been writing poetry since childhood — in German, Turkish, and English.
Her multilingual writing reflects emotional states rather than geography. Language becomes a space of processing, healing, and transformation. Through poetry, she learned to metabolize personal history, cultural tension, and emotional weight.
For Leyla Mei, music is a holistic artistic concept — a space where sound, text, identity, and performance merge. Her work moves between singer-songwriter traditions, Anatolian pop revival, jazz influence, and poetic storytelling.
Professional Experience & Cultural Engagement
Alongside her artistic work, Leyla Mei Parker is active in cultural production, arts education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is co-founder of the Vienna based IKIGAI Association, where she developed and lead cultural programs, workshops, and artistic productions for diverse communities.
She has contributed to theater and performance projects in collaboration with artists such as Aiko Kazuko Kurosaki and within the global movement One Billion Rising. Her work further includes production assistance and workshop facilitation with cocon – Verein zur Entwicklung und Umsetzung künstlerischer Projekte under the artistic direction of Emel Heinreich.
As a freelance artist, she independently realizes artistic and photographic projects, combining creative concept development with strong organizational and administrative expertise. Fluent in German, Turkish, and English, she works across cultural contexts with social awareness, leadership, and structural clarity.