Yalçın Tura

Composer. He was born in Istanbul in 1934. He took violin and piano lessons at early ages. He graduated from Galatasary High School (1954) and then from the Department of Philosophy, Istanbul University (1960). He took violin lessons from Seyfettin Asal, harmony and theory lessons from Demirhan Altuğ and Cemal Reşit Rey during his high school education. He continued his musical education during higher education as well. Upon the suggestion of Cemal Reşit Rey, whom he showed one of his compositions to, he began to take solfeggio and Music theory lessons from Demirhan Altuğ. He worked at TRT as a member of jury and of advisory committee

Starting from 1955, he has composed music for films and plays (theaters) as a professional composer. Sound track of Aşk-ı Memnu, and sound tracks of some films and plays like Yılanların Öcü, Kırık Hayatlar, Keşanlı Ali Destanı are among his best compositions. In 1976 he worked at Istanbul Turkish Music State Conservatory as a lecturer and then was appointed as the principal of Musicology Department, Istanbul Turkish Music State Conservatory. Between 1997 and 2001 he held office in the position of a director of conservatory and got retired in 2001.

Starting from 1970, he published articles about music in various media organs. Since 1976, he tried to publish Dimitri Kantemiroğlu’s work Kitab-ı İlmi'l-Musıki alâ Vechi'l-Hurufat, which is known as Kantemiroğlu Edvarı in Turkish and in western music notation, and he finally published it in co-operation with Yapı Kredi Publishing in 2001. He collected some of his speeches he did in various congress and symposium and his articles published in various magazines in a book Türk Musikisinin Mes’eleleri (1988). He criticized the Arel-Ezgi system in a chapter of that book. Along with Turkish Folk Music and Classic Turkish Music, he used Classic Western music, jazz and even light music in his polyphonic compositions.

Tura was a member of the Performing Community of SACEM (National Musical Compositions Professional Association), and was the chairman of science board of MESAM (Musical Work Owners' Society of Turkey). Besides, He worked at TRT as a member of jury and advisory committee at various times, and he was the director of Turkish Music at Drafting Committee of Fifth Five Year Development Plan. He won Journalist' Movie Award with the soundtrack of Zümrüt in1958, and received the best soundtrack award at Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festival with the soundtrack of Bir Yudum Sevgi in 1983. He was given honorary awards at International 20^th International Film Festival for his services to Turkish movie in 2001, and Lifetime Honorary Award of Screenwriters' Association in 2005, Lifetime Honorary Award of Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festival in 2009 and 38^th Honorary Award of Istanbul Music Festival in 2010.

MAIN WORKS:

Dans Süiti (1956), Viyolonsel Konçertosu (1956), Bi­rinci Senfoni (1957-66), Orkestra Süiti (1958), Surname (1959), Oda Senfonisi, Yaylılar İçin Adagio (1960), Toccata (1962), Jazz Süiti (1962), Bir Halk Temi Üzerine Çeşitlemeler (1963), Keman Kon­çertosu (1965-72), Enginlerden Yücelerden (1969), Tulum Havası (1972), Şeyh Galip'e Saygı (1972-75), Yeniden Eski Muhabbetleri Tecdid İdelüm (1976), Üçüncü Süit (1976), Niyazi-i Mısrî'nin İlahi­leri (1978), Şah Murat Süiti (1981), Yaratılış (1987-88).