Izmir Turkish Music Society

Before talking about the historical adventure of the Izmir Turkish Music Society, a brief mention of the activities of Turkish music in Izmir will help us to comprehend the place of Izmir in our music history and to get to know the music scholars and masters who were very important in laying the foundations of the Izmir Turkish Music Society.  

Sources on the subject indicate that in the late 19th century in Izmir Santo Shikar (Shem Tov Shikiar) and Neyzen Fuad Baba In addition to the teaching of Turkish Music under his leadership, there is information that lessons were also given on theory and methodology. In the house meetings held during this period, master teachers such as Sheikh Nureddin Efendi, Sheikh Celâleddin Efendi and Tanbûri Ali Efendi, who is among the last representatives of the classical period in the History of Turkish Music, transferred their knowledge to the curious young people of the period and enabled them to meet Turkish Music Art. This transfer paved the way for the establishment of the Izmir Turkish Music Society and the training of many artists, especially Hodja Râkım Elkutlu, who pioneered the establishment of institutional studies in Izmir.

At the beginning of the 20th century, after World War I, which was a great disaster for all humanity, the occupation years of Izmir ended, the War of Independence was won and the Republic of Turkey was established, and important initiatives were taken by the political authority in many fields within the borders of the Misak-ı Milli. In the process following the proclamation of the Republic, important breakthroughs in different fields in Izmir, as in the whole country, were also realized in the field of musical arts. Approximately twenty-three years after the proclamation of the Republic, on October 3, 1946, the Izmir Turkish Music Society was founded in the house of Mr. Râkım Elkutlu in the Mektupçu district of Izmir, with the initiatives of Râkım Elkutlu, Osman Zeki Koylan (Kuylan), dentist Lieutenant Colonel Nizâmeddin Bey, Reşat Aysu, retired Colonel Nûreddin Ulueren and Râkım Elkutlu's granddaughter Mücellâ Hanım.

The founding members of the Izmir Turkish Music Society were Râkım Elkutlu, Santûrî Dr. Hasan Yusuf Başkam, Dr. Fahri Işık, Dr. Celal Yarkın, Nûreddin Ulueren, Osman Zeki Koylan (Kuylan), Reşat Aysu, Nahit Hilmi Özeren, Haydar Zencircioğlu, İhsan Karasu and Orhan Rahmi Gökçe.

On October 22, 1946, at the general assembly meeting, Râkım Elkutlu was elected as president, Osman Zeki Koylan, Nûrettin Ulueren, İhsan Karasu and Reşat Aysu as members of the board of directors, and Santuri Dr. Hasan Yusuf Başkam and Dr. Fahri Işık as members of the supervisory board.

The first working place of the Society was a room in the building belonging to the Deaf and Dumb Society located at İzmir Şamlı Sokak No:28. While Reşat Aysu and Nizâmeddin Bey gave solo performance lessons, Mr. Râkım Elkutlu conducted lessons on the teaching of methods and traditional repertoire through meşk. Osman Zeki Koylan serves as Râkım Elkutlu's assistant.

With the financial support obtained as a result of the concerts given by the Turkish Music Choir formed under the umbrella of the society (the repertoire in the first three concerts is chosen from Nihavend and Şehnaz maqams) and a ball organized, the society begins to carry out its activities in an apartment in İzmir Gazi Bulvarı No: 38, where it moved on February 15, 1947. In the same year, the Folk Music Choir, under the direction of Ahmet Sözmen, is added to the Turkish Music Choir activities of the society. Until 1948, the society organizes many Turkish Music concerts and prepares and presents both Turkish Music and Folk Music concert programs on Izmir Radio since 1950, when Izmir Radio starts broadcasting. In addition, in radio programs; Sadık Öndül and İlyas Tonguç, who are the teachers of the society, conduct fasıl programs, Neyzen Ahmet Yardım conducts instrumental works and Ahmet Aksoy conducts choir programs.

Founded under the presidency of Mr. Râkım Elkutlu, the Izmir Turkish Music Society could only continue its activities for a few more years after Mr. Râkım's death on December 4, 1948 and had to close its doors to art lovers from Izmir. With the appointment of Kanun Artist Necdet Varol as the Director of Izmir Radio in 1958, the Izmir Turkish Music Society resumed its activities with an ensemble of approximately 30 people. At the same time, music ensembles formed in different districts of Izmir also start lessons; especially the Izmir Higher Education Youth Choir, founded in 1957, draws attention with its productive work.

After 1958, with the financial support of Izmir Municipality, the society presents many concert programs with the participation of Izmir Radio artists in a clubhouse allocated by the municipality and continues its activities for many years. Ahmet Aksoy, son of Muallim İsmail Hakkı Bey, Neyzen Ahmet Yardım, Reşat Aysu, İlyas Tonguç, Necdet Varol, Ayhan Sökmen, Mehmet Kutlugün, Ârif Sâmi Toker and Ahmet Özçağlayan, who served as the choir teacher and manager between 1975 and 1984, were the members of the Turkish Music Choir, whose foundations were laid with the establishment of the Society.

On July 14, 1985, the society holds an extraordinary congress and Dr. Cemâlettin Alptekin is elected president. Nursal Ünsal Birtek continues to be the choir teacher and director of the organization, which is later renamed İzmir Râkım Elkutlu Music Association, until 2008, when she falls ill. Aysel Üstünkaya, Ayla Kantarcı, Münevver Ertaş, Sezer Varol, İsmail Devrim, Pelin Uyanıker and Kenan Pişirici, members of the society, are successful in the exam held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism between July 3-6, 1985; they are entitled to enter the Izmir State Classical Turkish Music Choir of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as choristers.   

Izmir Râkım Elkutlu Music Association, where Nursal Ünsal Birtek was the teacher and choir director from 1985 to 2008, has been continuing its activities under the direction of Mr. Güven Yağtu since 2008.

Today, it is seen that ensembles trying to maintain the tradition of performing quality Turkish music with a concern for art are faced with various problems such as lack of institutional support, financial impossibilities and difficulties in obtaining concert halls. With the hope that these problems will be solved in the near future, I would like to express my gratitude to retired Colonel Nurettin Ulueren, one of the founding members of the Izmir Turkish Music Society. Turkish Music Magazine’I would like to share an excerpt from his article published in.

“December 4, 1949 was the anniversary of the death of the late composer Râkım Elkutlu. We wanted to organize the ihtifal (commemoration) night with a concert of his works. No one gave us a place. If Ms. Vedide, the Principal of Izmir's highly respected Girls” High School, had not given us the conference halls of the school, we would not have been able to organize the deceased Elkutlu ihtifal night. We owe it to Ms. Vedide, who is rarely raised by nature, to express our gratitude on behalf of the society..."

I wish mercy to our masters and teachers who have dedicated their lives to our music art, the heritage of a thousand years, and a long and healthy life to those who are still alive, and I express my gratitude to all public and private organizations that have contributed and will contribute to the sustainability of this heritage.

Lecturer Gör. Halil İbrahim YÜKSEL