A native of Turkey, Füsun Köksal studied composition at Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Ankara-Turkey with Bujor Hoinic. After completing her undergraduate studies she studied composition with Prof. Krzysztof Meyer and theory (Künstlerische Tonsatz) with Prof. Johannes Schild at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. Köksal holds a PhD in composition, minoring in theory from the University of Chicago, studied with Prof. Marta Ptaszynska, Prof. Shulamit Ran.

Köksal’s awards include third prize at the 6^th International Henri Dutilleux Composition Competition (2008), finalist at the 2^nd International Composer’s Competition, Reggello, Italy (2005), and second prize at the 3rd International German-Polish Composition Prize (1998). She won regional awards of the SCI/ASCAP student composition commission each year from 2006 to 2008. In 2009, she was nominated for the 3^rd International Pablo Casals Award in France.

Her music has been performed several times in Europe and North America and programmed at festivals such as Schleswig Holstein Music Festival (Germany), Berliner Festspiele-MaerzMuzik(2013),Via Stellae Festival (Spain), Turkkfest (England), Fertile Crescent (Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University). The prominent ensembles and performers who have featured her music include Derek Bermel, Ensemble Modern Academy, Penderecki String Quartet, Ensemble Calliopée, Orchestre Nationale de Lorraine, Arditti String Quartet, Pacifica Quartet, eighth blackbird, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s 10:10 Ensemble, Ensemble Fire-Wire, Dafo Quartet,  Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Vertix Sonore, Hezarfen Ensemble, and Bilkent Ensemble.