Turkish classical music pioneer dies at 95
ISTANBUL
Alaeddin Yavaşça, a prominent classical Turkish music artist, who was also a doctor, has died at the age of 95, leaving the cultural heritage of some 625 compositions and some 256 awards behind.
Born in 1926 in the southeastern province of Kilis, he got graduated from Istanbul University’s Medical Faculty in 1951. He composed his first song the same year while he spent decades in hospitals working as a gynecologist or a manager.
He is said to compose 82 of his works during service in hospitals.
Apart from Turkey, he gave concerts in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. He was awarded as the “state artist” in 1991.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a letter of condolence on his Twitter account, while the country’s Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, “I offer condolence with deep sorrow losing a prominent name of the Turkish classical music.”
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli described Yavaşça as a “giant artist and composer.”
“I learned the sad news with deep sorrow. He was a very important artist,” world-renowned Turkish pianist Fazıl Say tweeted on Dec. 24.
