He gained a master's degree and doctorate in musicology at Northwestern University in Illinois.
His doctoral dissertation focussed on the traditional music of the Efutu people.
[4] According to Daniel Avorgbedor, Turkson's compositions were "largely rooted in 20th-century avant-garde techniques", in particular in his use of atonality and serialism.
His later compositions included indigenous elements, inspired partly by his earlier research into Efutu music.
[3] Most of his works were published by the University of Ife Press in Nigeria.