Tanburi Ali Efendi
Encyclopedia
Tanburi Ali Efendi (1836, Midilli - 1902, İzmir) was a Turkish
tanbur
virtuoso and composer, one of the most famous among 19th century composers, who was also notable for having greatly contributed to Tanburi Cemil Bey
's development in music.
Ali Efendi was born in Midilli (now Mytilene
) in 1836. His education, both in Mytilene and, after 1854, in İstanbul
, was religious. He was soon remarked thanks to the beauty of his voice and his virtuosity in playing the tanbur and, upon the sultan Abdülaziz
's personal instructions, was taken in employment in the palace, where he spent 23 years of his career. It was during this period that he met Tanburi Cemil Bey
, then an adolescent, and became his tanbur teacher. He quit the palace in 1885 and started living in İzmir. He died there in 1902 after having greatly contributed to the city's musical scene.
He is considered as one of the most lyric composers in Turkish classical music.
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
tanbur
Tanbur (Turkish)
The Tambur is a fretted string instrument of Turkey and the former lands of the Ottoman Empire. Like the ney, the armudi kemençe and the kudüm, it constitutes one of the four instruments of the basic quartet of Turkish classical music aka Sanat Musiği...
virtuoso and composer, one of the most famous among 19th century composers, who was also notable for having greatly contributed to Tanburi Cemil Bey
Tanburi Cemil Bey
Tanburi Cemil Bey , was a Turkish tanbur, yaylı tanbur, kemençe, and lavta virtuoso and composer, who has greatly contributed to the taksim genre in Ottoman classical music...
's development in music.
Ali Efendi was born in Midilli (now Mytilene
Mytilene
Mytilene is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island of Lesbos. Mytilene, whose name is pre-Greek, is built on the...
) in 1836. His education, both in Mytilene and, after 1854, in İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, was religious. He was soon remarked thanks to the beauty of his voice and his virtuosity in playing the tanbur and, upon the sultan Abdülaziz
Abdülâziz
Abdülaziz I or Abd Al-Aziz, His Imperial Majesty was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned between 25 June 1861 and 30 May 1876...
's personal instructions, was taken in employment in the palace, where he spent 23 years of his career. It was during this period that he met Tanburi Cemil Bey
Tanburi Cemil Bey
Tanburi Cemil Bey , was a Turkish tanbur, yaylı tanbur, kemençe, and lavta virtuoso and composer, who has greatly contributed to the taksim genre in Ottoman classical music...
, then an adolescent, and became his tanbur teacher. He quit the palace in 1885 and started living in İzmir. He died there in 1902 after having greatly contributed to the city's musical scene.
He is considered as one of the most lyric composers in Turkish classical music.