Zeki Üngör

Osman Zeki Üngör (1880–28 February 1958) was a Turkish composer, violin virtuoso and lyricist, who served as the first conductor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Turkey.

Üngör further helped establish the State Conservatory of Turkey and served as its first headmaster, involving himself actively in the creation of laws whereby the education of students with special artistic talent would be wholly sponsored by the government.

Notable works include the symphonic arrangement of the original 1921 score for the Turkish National Anthem, İlim Marşı, Azm-ü Ümit Marşı, Töre Marşı, Türk Çocukları, and Cumhuriyet Marşı.

Üngör was born in Üsküdar, Istanbul in 1880 as the son of a sugar merchant and the grandson of Santuri Hilmi Bey - a well-regarded musician in the Ottoman Imperial Court and the founder of the Fasl-ı Cedid body of the Muzika-i Hümayun ("The New Fasıl Division" of the Ottoman Imperial Orchestra).

After completing his education at the middle school of the Beşiktaş Military Academy, he was admitted into the Musical Academy of the Ottoman Imperial Orchestra in 1891 at the age of 11, where he quickly garnered the attention of his instructors as well as that of Sultan Abdulhamit II with his talent, who soon placed him under the instruction of Chief Violinist Vondra Bey and d’Aradna Pasha. Formally becoming a concert violinist following the completion of his musical education, Üngör continued to ascend the ranks of the Ottoman Imperial Orchestra, soon becoming first violinist, and ultimately, conductor in 1917.

He was a driving force in transforming the Muzika-i Hümayun from an orchestra that primarily performed military marches into a symphonic orchestra in the true Western sense.

Üngör complemented his orchestra duties with musical instruction, offering music classes at the Imperial Orchestra and the Istanbul Erkek Lisesi, as well as offering weekly public concerts at the Union Française. He additionally conducted performance in Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Budapest and Sofia.

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Wikipedia