MUMBAI: Harpist Fatma Ceren Necipoglu, one of the presumed victims of the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic on Monday, was one of the rising stars of classical music in Turkey.

She was on her way back from Brazil where she held two recitals at the Fourth Rio Harp Festival when her Air France plane traveling between Rio de Janeiro and Paris went missing. Thirty-seven-year-old Necipoglu was an academic at the Eskisehir Anadolu University Conservatory and was one of the most respected harpists from Turkey.

After finishing at Bogazici University Department of Translation and Interpreting in 1997, she focused on her musical career, completing post-graduate courses on harp studies at Louisiana State University School of Music and Indiana University School of Music. Her musical career started when she was attending the German High School in Istanbul while also studying at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory Harp Department and Istanbul University State Conservatory pre-college Harp Department. She knew French, German and English and was a member of the World Harp Congress.

Necipoglu taught piano and harp lessons at Anadolu University. Anadolu University Rector Prof. Fevzi Surmeli said: "We learned one of the passengers on the Air France flight was our employee Necipoglu. Neither her family nor us have heard from her yet. We hope what we hear will be good news....

The head of the Anadolu University Conservatory, Prof. Yasar Hoscan, said it was a sad day for all of Necipoglu's friends, family and students. "We are all waiting and hoping for good news," he said.