Ali Rıfat Çağatay

Ali Rıfat Çağatay (1867–1935) was a Turkish composer, oud virtuoso and academic, who served as the founding president of the Türk Musikisi Ocağı (The Institute for Turkish Music) and the long-term president of the Şark Musiki Cemiyeti (The Society for Eastern Music).

He was noted for his efforts to harmonize Classical Turkish Music with elements of western musical heritage, his vocal abilities, as well as his talents on the oud, the violoncello, the tanbur, and the kemenche.

Notable works include the original musical arrangement for the Turkish National Anthem, used between 1924-1930 until the acceptance of the new composition by Osman Zeki Üngör, as well as other national favorites.

Biography

Born in İstanbul in 1867, Çağatay was the eldest of four sons, born to a family of musicians, poets, writers, soldiers and medium-rank government employees.

He had three sons from his second wife, the eldest of which, Ali Cafer Çağatay, was a notable soccer player for Fenerbahçe.

Çağatay died on March 3, 1935 in İstanbul.

See also

• İstiklâl Marşı
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy

References

• Anthology Database - Ali Rıfat Çağatay (Turkish)
• Genel Başvuru ve Bilgi Sitesi, TürkçeBilgi Encyclopedia - Ali Rıfat Çağatay (Turkish)