Prof. Dr., musicologist, traditional Turkish music performer
"My songs are about love and people, and they are performed to the heart, mind and to the memory of the listeners."
Okan Murat Öztürk
Okan Murat Öztürk has distinguished himself as one of the masters of traditional Anatolian Music and its unique instrument, the bağlama.
"one of the leading players in Turkey today"
Martin Stokes & Francesko Martinelli, The Rough Guide to World Music, Africa & Middle East
Besides being a researcher and academician, Okan Murat Öztürk is one of Turkey’s leading traditional music interpreters.
Öztürk participated in various prominent national and international festivals and gave concerts at stages.
He took part as a music director, performer and panelist in the Hattusa project supported by the European Union. As a leading musicologist, he conducts research and publications on an international scale on the theoretical and practical aspects of the concept of maqam, as well as on various problems that arose in the field of music in Turkey with the transition from Eastern civilization to Western civilization.
He completed his doctoral thesis in 2014, with the title “A New Approach to the Melody and Makam Relationship in Makam-Music in Terms of Analysis and Interpretation: Tone/Fret Tunings and Melodic Makam Nuclei”.
He published his first book, Zeybek Culture and Music in 2006.
As editor, writer or translator, he took place in many publications. He carried out joint projects with many distinguished domestic and foreign musicians and researchers.
In 1988, he founded the first bağlama trio in Turkey, Bengi Bağlama Trio. The trio was mentioned as the "modern acoustic instrumental folk group on the cutting edge of Anatolian sound" by Richard O. Nidel in The Basics, World Music.
In addition to the many album records released, Öztürk produced and presented various TV and radio programs for TRT (Turkish State Radio & Television).
Besides concerts, Okan Murat Öztürk has been also invited as a speaker to various conferences including An Historical and Analytical Approach to Traditional Turkish Music Theory by Istanbul Technical University, Theory Versus Practice: Octave Division and Ouds Frets of Abd al- Qader Maraghi by Iranian Academy of Arts in Tehran, Conference on Zeibekiko and Zeybek Dance by School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.
Öztürk is a academic staff member of Ankara Music and Fine Arts University.
COUNTRIES PERFORMED:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cuba, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Türkiye, the UK and US.
"My songs are about love and people, and they are performed to the heart, mind and to the memory of the listeners."
Okan Murat Öztürk
Okan Murat Öztürk has distinguished himself as one of the masters of traditional Anatolian Music and its unique instrument, the bağlama.
"one of the leading players in Turkey today"
Martin Stokes & Francesko Martinelli, The Rough Guide to World Music, Africa & Middle East
Besides being a researcher and academician, Okan Murat Öztürk is one of Turkey’s leading traditional music interpreters.
Öztürk participated in various prominent national and international festivals and gave concerts at stages.
He took part as a music director, performer and panelist in the Hattusa project supported by the European Union. As a leading musicologist, he conducts research and publications on an international scale on the theoretical and practical aspects of the concept of maqam, as well as on various problems that arose in the field of music in Turkey with the transition from Eastern civilization to Western civilization.
He completed his doctoral thesis in 2014, with the title “A New Approach to the Melody and Makam Relationship in Makam-Music in Terms of Analysis and Interpretation: Tone/Fret Tunings and Melodic Makam Nuclei”.
He published his first book, Zeybek Culture and Music in 2006.
As editor, writer or translator, he took place in many publications. He carried out joint projects with many distinguished domestic and foreign musicians and researchers.
In 1988, he founded the first bağlama trio in Turkey, Bengi Bağlama Trio. The trio was mentioned as the "modern acoustic instrumental folk group on the cutting edge of Anatolian sound" by Richard O. Nidel in The Basics, World Music.
In addition to the many album records released, Öztürk produced and presented various TV and radio programs for TRT (Turkish State Radio & Television).
Besides concerts, Okan Murat Öztürk has been also invited as a speaker to various conferences including An Historical and Analytical Approach to Traditional Turkish Music Theory by Istanbul Technical University, Theory Versus Practice: Octave Division and Ouds Frets of Abd al- Qader Maraghi by Iranian Academy of Arts in Tehran, Conference on Zeibekiko and Zeybek Dance by School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London.
Öztürk is a academic staff member of Ankara Music and Fine Arts University.
COUNTRIES PERFORMED:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cuba, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Türkiye, the UK and US.
Published Major Works (Book, CD, Documentary and Theater music):
The Relationship between Art and Politics in the 19th Century Ottoman Empire (2021), Atlas of Makam Music in Anatolia and Neighboring Geographies (2021), Views on Ottoman-Turkish Music: History, Theory and Performance (2021), Turkish Modernization: Objects and Symbols (2021), Mehter (2020), Music Policies of the Republic (2019), Turkish Music Atlas (2019), Turkic Soundscapes (2018), Die Bağlama in der Türkei und Europa (2018), Tanburi Cemil Bey (2017), İllusion (2016) , Maqam Traditions (2016), Writing the History of 'Ottoman Music' (2015), Space of Mugham (2015), In Which Direction is Music Heading? (2014), The Maqam (2012), Music Culture of Turkey (2008).
Pirs and Dedes (2020), Love can not be Reproached (2017), New Tradition (2013), Fountain (2008), Love Makes the Man Sing (2007), The Guide/Caravan of Friends 2 (2007), Caravan of Friends 1 (2005), Gift (2003), The Flood Goes Away, The Sand Remains (2001), Music from the Tea Lands (2000), Nought (1999, with Erkan Oğur), Tunes from the Garden of the Sun (1999), Old Airs (1998), Turkish Authentic Saz (1997), Crazy Emine theater music, Turkish Fashion documentary music, The Book of Turkey with the Masters documentary music, Colors of Anatolia documentary music.
Besides solo performances, Okan Murat Öztürk performs with different guest musicians in different projects.
He is also a member of various scientific and professional organizations including the ICTM and Ethnomusicology Association.
BAĞLAMA & TRADITIONAL ANATOLIAN FOLK MUSIC
Anatolia, known as "Anadolu" in Turkish, is a place of rich geography and diverse cultures that you must explore if you have an interest in music from different parts of the world.
The region, situated on the Eastern Mediterranean peninsula and historically referred to as "Asia Minor," bears witness to over 10,000 years of the accumulation of diverse civilizations.
The quintessential instrument that embodies Turkish folk music is the bağlama. This string instrument is ubiquitous throughout Anatolia, with not a single region or village unfamiliar with its melodic presence, making it an integral part of the musical heritage of the land.
"Though a simple instrument, the bağlama is capable of enormous variety”
Martin Stokes & Francesko Martinelli, The Rough Guide to World Music, Africa & Middle East
TÜRKÜ
The people of Anatolia call the poetic verses with syllabic meters which they sing with a certain melody as "türkü".
The music is quite unique -- and incredibly rich in its instruments, tonal systems, "makam" (melodic formuale), "usul" (rhythmic patterns and measuring), repertoire, performance styles, and related dance and singing systems.
Türkü is the most frequently seen example in the folk music tradition of Anatolian people.
Love, nature, longing, homeland, living far from one's home or homeland, fun, work and similar subjects are the main themes.
Turku melodies which develop depending on their modal and rhythmic patterns display an opulent variety.
Due to their musical contexts, türküs play a very important role in the comprehension of Anatolian music.
The Relationship between Art and Politics in the 19th Century Ottoman Empire (2021), Atlas of Makam Music in Anatolia and Neighboring Geographies (2021), Views on Ottoman-Turkish Music: History, Theory and Performance (2021), Turkish Modernization: Objects and Symbols (2021), Mehter (2020), Music Policies of the Republic (2019), Turkish Music Atlas (2019), Turkic Soundscapes (2018), Die Bağlama in der Türkei und Europa (2018), Tanburi Cemil Bey (2017), İllusion (2016) , Maqam Traditions (2016), Writing the History of 'Ottoman Music' (2015), Space of Mugham (2015), In Which Direction is Music Heading? (2014), The Maqam (2012), Music Culture of Turkey (2008).
Pirs and Dedes (2020), Love can not be Reproached (2017), New Tradition (2013), Fountain (2008), Love Makes the Man Sing (2007), The Guide/Caravan of Friends 2 (2007), Caravan of Friends 1 (2005), Gift (2003), The Flood Goes Away, The Sand Remains (2001), Music from the Tea Lands (2000), Nought (1999, with Erkan Oğur), Tunes from the Garden of the Sun (1999), Old Airs (1998), Turkish Authentic Saz (1997), Crazy Emine theater music, Turkish Fashion documentary music, The Book of Turkey with the Masters documentary music, Colors of Anatolia documentary music.
Besides solo performances, Okan Murat Öztürk performs with different guest musicians in different projects.
He is also a member of various scientific and professional organizations including the ICTM and Ethnomusicology Association.
BAĞLAMA & TRADITIONAL ANATOLIAN FOLK MUSIC
Anatolia, known as "Anadolu" in Turkish, is a place of rich geography and diverse cultures that you must explore if you have an interest in music from different parts of the world.
The region, situated on the Eastern Mediterranean peninsula and historically referred to as "Asia Minor," bears witness to over 10,000 years of the accumulation of diverse civilizations.
The quintessential instrument that embodies Turkish folk music is the bağlama. This string instrument is ubiquitous throughout Anatolia, with not a single region or village unfamiliar with its melodic presence, making it an integral part of the musical heritage of the land.
"Though a simple instrument, the bağlama is capable of enormous variety”
Martin Stokes & Francesko Martinelli, The Rough Guide to World Music, Africa & Middle East
TÜRKÜ
The people of Anatolia call the poetic verses with syllabic meters which they sing with a certain melody as "türkü".
The music is quite unique -- and incredibly rich in its instruments, tonal systems, "makam" (melodic formuale), "usul" (rhythmic patterns and measuring), repertoire, performance styles, and related dance and singing systems.
Türkü is the most frequently seen example in the folk music tradition of Anatolian people.
Love, nature, longing, homeland, living far from one's home or homeland, fun, work and similar subjects are the main themes.
Turku melodies which develop depending on their modal and rhythmic patterns display an opulent variety.
Due to their musical contexts, türküs play a very important role in the comprehension of Anatolian music.
Turkus are the language of Anatolian people. In brief, for Anatolia the türkü represents everything related to people and to life itself.
