Born in 1991 in Istanbul, Nisan Ak began her musical studies on guitar at the age of nine, and was subsequently accepted at the Istanbul Fine Arts High School, where she added piano and composition to her artistic arsenal. She received her undergraduate education in composition from Istanbul Bilgi University, where she was the highest-ranking full-scholarship student. While there, she also attended Conservatory of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University to participate in conducting lessons there. After graduating magna cum laude, she was accepted into the Master’s degree program in Orchestral Conducting at the Aaron Copland School of Music (CUNY), where she studied conductıng with Maestro Maurice Peress and theory with William Rothstein and Donna Doyle. During her masters, she was selected by the City University of New York for the honors program and the CUNY value program. Ak graduated with awards and scholarships. 

As a new music lover, she conducted many premieres of acknowledged composers including Mandelbaum, Pöğün and Saylor. Her contemporary music repertoire includes, but is not limited to, composers Edgard Varèse, John Williams, Steve Reich, Aaron Copland, Erke Sven Tüür and George Perle. 

She studied with world-known conductors Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, George Hurst, Tito Muñoz, and Gerard Schwartz. 

Ak is now continuing her DMA in the studio of Maestro Donald Portnoy with full scholarship.