Musician Atilla Özdemiroğlu dies at 73

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Veteran Turkish musician and composer Atilla Özdemiroğlu died on April 20 at the age of 73 in an Istanbul hospital where he had been receiving lung cancer treatment.

In a career spanning five decades, Özdemiroğlu worked with a number of Turkish groups and singers. He is best known for his award winning film scores in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Özdemiroğlu was honored five times by the Antalya Film Festival and twice by the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival for his work on filmographies.   

Özdemiroğlu was born in Ankara in 1943. While studying at the faculty of law, he played violin in a chamber orchestra. In those years, he performed in many Turkish and foreign music groups. He learned harmony and the technique of composition and arrangement with Emin Fındıkoğlu and gave concerts with the Erol Pekcan Jazz group.

He moved to Istanbul in 1966 and joined the band Durul Gence 5. Later, he played in several other music groups and also for Turkish pop stars like Ajda Pekkan, Nilüfer, Kayahan and Sezen Aksu. One of his compositions, “Pet’r Oil,” was selected for Turkey’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980. He also composed many other songs to represent Turkey in the contest. 

Ali Haydar Timisi, a board member of the Turkish Society of Musical Works Owners (MESAM), said Özdemiroğlu had spent most of his time working to protect the copyright of musicians. He was president of the society between 1995 and 2003.

Özdemiroğlu was married with four children. 

In a statement on its website, MESAM said the funeral would take place in Istanbul on April 21.