Soner Özbilen
Encyclopedia
Soner Özbilen is a Turkish
folk
singer, conductor
, and compiler
.
in 1947 to an immigrant family from Kosovo
.
He finished primary and middle school in Boğazlıyan, high school in Istanbul
. He studied at the Academy of Economy and Finance. Showing great interest in music in the school choir, he attended the Public Music Education Centre in Kadıköy and Aksaray Music Society for a while as a pupil of Orhan Dağlı, Nida Tüfekçi
, Neriman Tüfekçi, and Yücel Paşmakçı. In 1966 he won the folk music singer competition organised by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
(TRT) and became a trainee singer. During the three-year training period he learned a lot from the Turkish Music masters such as Nida Tüfekçi, Neriman Tüfekçi, Halil Bedii Yönetken and Ahmet Kutsi Tecer
. As his training ended in 1969, he was admitted to Turkish Folk Music Group in TRT Istanbul.
), Refik Başaran (from Ürgüp) and Muharrem Ertaş (from Kırşehir); Soner Özbilen developed his own style focusing on Rumeli songs for the last ten years.
Along with appearing regularly in concerts and TRT radio-TV programmes, he performed in festivals in many regions of Turkey
. He took part in International Music and Folk Dance Festivals organized in Macedonia, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Libya, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Finland.
Soner Özbilen, who has contributed to Turkish Folk Music repertory by compiling songs from several regions of Turkey, is still working as a singer and as a conductor for TRT.
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...
folk
Turkish folk music
Turkish folk music combines the distinct cultural values of all civilisations that have lived in Anatolia and the Ottoman territories in Europe and Asia...
singer, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
.
Early life
He was born in BoğazlıyanBogazliyan
Boğazlıyan is a town and district of Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Neighbouring districts are Sarıkaya on the north, Yenifakılı on the west, Çandır and Çayıralan on the east. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 67,184 of which 29,719 live in the town...
in 1947 to an immigrant family from Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
He finished primary and middle school in Boğazlıyan, high school in Istanbul
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...
. He studied at the Academy of Economy and Finance. Showing great interest in music in the school choir, he attended the Public Music Education Centre in Kadıköy and Aksaray Music Society for a while as a pupil of Orhan Dağlı, Nida Tüfekçi
Nida Tüfekçi
Mehmet Nidâ Tüfekçi, is a Turkish folk singer.Nidâ Tüfekçi dedicated his 83-year-long life to Turkish folk music, and died in the hospital where he was being treated after a heart attack....
, Neriman Tüfekçi, and Yücel Paşmakçı. In 1966 he won the folk music singer competition organised by Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
Turkish Radio and Television Corporation
The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, also known as TRT , is the national public broadcaster of Turkey and was founded in 1964. Around 70% of TRT's funding comes from a tax levied on electricity bills and a sales tax on television and radio receivers...
(TRT) and became a trainee singer. During the three-year training period he learned a lot from the Turkish Music masters such as Nida Tüfekçi, Neriman Tüfekçi, Halil Bedii Yönetken and Ahmet Kutsi Tecer
Ahmet Kutsi Tecer
Ahmet Kutsi Tecer was a Turkish poet and politician.-Biography:Born in Jerusalem, Tecer studied philosophy and started his career as a philosophy teacher. Then, he worked in the Education Ministry and was a member of parliament from 1942 to 1946...
. As his training ended in 1969, he was admitted to Turkish Folk Music Group in TRT Istanbul.
Career
Influenced by Nida Tüfekçi (also from Yozgat), Çekiç Ali (from Kırşehir), Ahmet Gazi Ayhan (from Kayseri), Hacı Taşan (from KeskinKeskin
Keskin is a town and district of Kırıkkale Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 59,150 of which 34,827 live in the town of Keskin.-External links:*...
), Refik Başaran (from Ürgüp) and Muharrem Ertaş (from Kırşehir); Soner Özbilen developed his own style focusing on Rumeli songs for the last ten years.
Along with appearing regularly in concerts and TRT radio-TV programmes, he performed in festivals in many regions of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He took part in International Music and Folk Dance Festivals organized in Macedonia, France, Spain, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Libya, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Finland.
Soner Özbilen, who has contributed to Turkish Folk Music repertory by compiling songs from several regions of Turkey, is still working as a singer and as a conductor for TRT.