After completing his high school education in Erzincan, he attended Turkish Music State Conservatory of Istanbul Technical University in 1987. Following his graduation, for a while he gave courses on note, solfege, baglama in various places and in his own musical school. During this period, he also accompanied many artists both on stage and on their album work.
He accompanied Zülfü Livaneli between the years 1997-1999, Sükriye Tutkun between the years 1999-2004, Yildiz Tilbe between the years 2004-2006 as a baglama player on their stage performances. Moreover, he has been performing as a studio musician since 1999. Between the years 1999-2000, he contributed both as a singer in chorus and a baglama player to the choral album of Turkish Folk Music namely “Halimiz Ahvalimiz” composed of 8 albums. He also accompanied the musical “Sultan Gelin” staged on Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality City Theater with his baglama as a guest musician.
In 2004, under the name of “Orient Expressions”, his band performing ethnic and electronic music released their first album. He gave concerts as a member of the band in many festivals and organisations held in Turkey and Europe. The band Orient Expressions has made music for one of the serials of Channel D namely “Hirsiz Polis”. Cem Yildiz continues his work with many series and film soundtrack projects along with the concert programs of Orient Expressions’ “Kirik Kalpler Albümü” (Broken Hearts Album) released towards the end of 2008.
