The use of local elements in European art music had emerged in the 19th century as part of the nationalism current in music. Some composers have also begun integrating traditional instruments or local/traditional playing styles into a Western art music compositional framework since the last quarter of the 20th century, mostly due to a post-modernist approach.

These practices, having emerged in European countries and North America, had their impact on music in Turkey especially beginning from the establishment of the republic, in different ways and forms throughout generations of composers.

In this thesis, after looking at the roots of nationalist music movement in Europe, and a brief historical background on European art music-based compositions in Turkey covering different generations of composers, we focus on The Journey of Sound – Young Composers Festival, held in Istanbul since 2006.

The festival has a unique role in the music scene of Turkey, bringing student composers from different academic environments of the country together, thus forming a perfect occasion to observe the current and upcoming leanings in sense of using local music elements.

In the final chapter we analyzed pieces featuring local elements performed at the festival from 2006 to 2019, and categorized them regarding the general strategies followed by the composers when incorporating these elements into the compositions. We also conducted a survey among these composers, shedding light on the motives of a such compositional practice and its continuity in the following years and works.