Dr. Mehmet Selim Yavuz
Assistant Professor
Istanbul University State Conservatory, Musicology Department
About & Research
Dr. Mehmet Selim Yavuz is an Assistant Professor at the Istanbul University State Conservatory, Musicology Department. His work is highly interdisciplinary, bridging the humanities and computer sciences.
Holding a PhD in Musicology from Leeds Beckett University and a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering from Sabancı University, his academic profile leverages technical expertise to drive innovative research in music studies.
He is passionate about applying computational and analytical methods to complex cultural data, fostering a dialogue between traditional music scholarship and modern digital methodologies.
Key Research Areas:
- Digital Musicology & Computational Analysis
- Metal Music Studies (Death/Doom, Black Metal, Sociology)
- Sociology of Music and Cultural Networks
- Music Theory and Tuning Systems
Education
PhD in Musicology
Leeds Beckett University, UK
2015 - 2018
Thesis: 'The Barghest O' Whitby': (A genealogical study of) death/doom metal music(al) network in Northern England.
MMus in Music (Ethnomusicology Path)
Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
2014 - 2015
MA in Music (Historical Musicology Path)
Istanbul Technical University, Dr Erol Ucer Centre for Advanced Studies in Music
2012 - 2014
BSc in Computer Science and Engineering
Sabancı University, Istanbul, Turkey
2004 - 2012
Selected Publications
-
Yavuz, M. S., Karamustafaoğlu, M. K., Yeprem, M.S., Karşıcı, G., & Sezikli, U. (2025). "Music and Artificial Intelligence in Turkey".
Öneri, 20, 50-70.
-
Yavuz, M. S. (2017). "'Delightfully depressing': Death/doom metal music world and the emotional responses of the fan".
Metal Music Studies, 3(2), 201-218.
-
Kenny, K., & Yavuz, M. S. (2019). "Metal and Musicology".
Metal Music Studies, 5(3), 293-296.
-
Lashua B., Wagg S., Spracklen K., & Yavuz M. S. (eds.). (2019). Sounds and the City, Volume 2.
Palgrave Macmillan (Book).
For a complete list of publications, please refer to my Istanbul University Avesis Profile.
Technical Skills & Experience
Leveraging a background in Computer Engineering to enhance Digital Musicology research.
Programming & Data
- Python (High Proficiency, Data Science, GUI Apps)
- C (Low-level programming, Data Encoding)
- Assembly (x86, Algorithm Testing)
Systems & Cloud
- AWS (Server Infrastructure, Ubuntu)
- Linux (Arch, Debian)
- NoSQL Databases
- Tools: Git, Jupyter Notebook
Key Technical Projects
- Satellite Communication Payload Encoding (C-based optimization)
- IoT Fire Detection Systems (AWS infrastructure, C data handling)
- AES Algorithm Testing (x86 Assembly analysis)
Contact
Please direct all academic and professional inquiries to the email address below:
msyavuz@istanbul.edu.tr