Harpist Umay Mert, born on 9 June 2011 in İzmir, Umay Mert began her piano education in 2017. In 2021, she was admitted to the Harp Department of the Dokuz Eylül State Conservatory, where she began her studies with Gözde Ece Yavaş Öztürk.

In 2022, she performed in a harp class concert. In 2023, she gave her first solo recital. In 2024, she performed solo harp recitals at St. Vukolos Church upon invitation from the İzmir Aşkına Association, and in 2025 at the İzmir National Library.

She was selected among the highest-scoring participants in the Basel International Online Harp Competition. She was also accepted into the “Online Focus on Youth” programme organised by the World Harp Congress, and her concert recordings were published on the Congress’s official website. She won a silver medal and silver diploma at the Suoni d’Arpa competition in Italy (2024) and at the VivaHarp competition in Bulgaria (2025).

She has participated in masterclasses with Joel von Lerber, Çağatay Akyol (within the ‘Klasik Keyifler’ project), Marie-Pierre Langlamet in Nice, Elisabeth Plank at HAN505, and at the 2nd Ceren Necipoğlu Istanbul Harp Festival with Imogen Barford, Florence Sitruk, Anastasia Razvalyaeva and Sioned Williams, as well as workshops with Mara Galassi. She also performed in concerts held at the end of these programmes.

Umay Mert continues her studies at the Dokuz Eylül University State Conservatory, where she is currently a 9th-grade student,, with Gözde Ece Yavaş Öztürk.