Erol Deran (read Turkish version here | listen to music samples)
Introduction
Erol Deran, who has a place on both the stage and the education system of Classical Turkish Music history, stands out as a versatile figure blending qanun virtuosity with visual arts. Deran, who laid the foundations of his music career with his duties during the Istanbul and Ankara Radio years, later directed his academic career at the Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) State Conservatory of Turkish Music and took on key responsibilities such as Head of the Main Art Department of Plucked Instruments. In 1982, he represented Turkey at the International Baghdad Music Conference and took the lead in promoting his music on international stages. The artist, who is also a graduate of the State Academy of Fine Arts in the field of painting, succeeded in integrating two art branches with works such as "75 Years Spent with Music and Painting". Deran, who draws attention with his taksim and saz semai interpretations in makams such as Nihavent, Acemaşiran, and Şehnaz, also documented family heritage by publishing a biographical book about his father and composer Burhanettin Deran. Although there is no clear information about the date of death in sources, the album recordings and academic accumulation he left behind solidify his place in the Classical Turkish Music literature.
Biography
Erol Deran, born on July 5, 1937, in the Polatlı district of Ankara, pursued his career as a Classical Turkish Music qanun artist and also as a painter in a versatile manner. The artist's acquaintance with music occurred with the first lessons he received from his father, Burhanettin Deran, who was a composer and officer. Deran, who graduated from Sabih Gözen's fabric design workshop at the State Academy of Fine Arts, began his music career in 1957 at Istanbul Radio as a qanun artist. After completing his reserve officer service in Ankara between 1961 and 1963, he took on duties at Ankara Radio between 1963-1968 and returned to Istanbul Radio in 1968 to continue his work there.
Erol Deran, who took a step to his academic career, was appointed as a lecturer at Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1975. The artist, who also took on the duty of Head of the İ.T.Ü. Main Art Department of Plucked Instruments during this period, was elevated to associate professorship at the same institution on January 26, 1988. Deran, who reached the rank of professor on June 20, 2002, retired from the İ.T.Ü. Conservatory duty in 2004 and continued his work at Haliç University Turkish Music Conservatory in the same year. The artist, who also showed success in representing Turkey in the international arena, participated in the International Baghdad Music Conference with the invitation of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Promotion in 1982.
Erol Deran, who is identified not only with music but also with the art of painting, stands out for his works in the field of visual arts. Deran, who received a Commendation award in the "Life in Bolu and Bolu" competition in 1984, entered the top 20 in the "Country of Us in the Year 2000" Universal Painting Competition organized by Windsor & Newton in 2000. In 1999, he gave a concert by presenting a slide show on his painting and music works at the Szechenyi State Library in Budapest. The artist's painting works are located in various official and private collections at home and abroad.
Within the music archive, there are albums such as "Kanun Soloları" (1993) and "Müzik ve Resimle Geçen 75 Yıl" (2012), as well as Bosphorus Turkish Music Ensemble Long Play works. Additionally, there is a solo CD work made in Greece and two Classical Turkish Music CDs published in Turkey. The works he performed include Nihavent Saz Semai, Acemaşiran and Şehnaz Joint Taksims, Kürdilihicazkar Saz Semai, and Buselik and Segah taksims. The artist wrote a book titled "The Life and Compositions of Burhanettin Deran" about his father Burhanettin Deran's life and compositions, and was mentioned in an article titled "Erol Deran with Bosphorus Landscapes" by Ersoy A. in the Sanat Çevresi magazine in 1986. Currently, there is no exact information about the artist's death in existing sources.
Style and Performance
Erol Deran is a virtuosic artist who elevates the qanun instrument not only as an accompaniment tool but to the position of a narrator in itself within the Classical Turkish Music canon. His years at Istanbul and Ankara Radios and his academic duties at the İTÜ State Conservatory of Turkish Music show that his performance style contains both the purity of the traditional radio voice and the technical solidity of conservatory discipline. The artist's most distinctive feature is the emphasis he gives to taksim and saz semai forms in his musical narrative. Recordings such as "Nihavent Saz Semai", "Şehnaz Joint Taksim", and "Buselik Taksim" demonstrate his technical mastery not only in the basic colors of the makams but also in transitions between makams, as seen in the example of "Transition from Sultaniyegah to Ferahfeza".
Deran's musical personality seems to be a reflection of the first lessons he received from his father, composer Burhanettin Deran, and the pedagogical accumulation he gained during the years he served as Head of the Main Art Department of Plucked Instruments at İTÜ. The period in which he was contemporary and worked with names such as Ihsan Özgen, Gündüz Kutbay, and Cahit Peksayar places his performance among the prominent qanun sounds of that era. However, the most important privilege that distinguishes him from others is the dialogue he established with visual arts beyond music. His success in painting competitions and presentations combining painting and music indicate a multidimensional aesthetic perception where melody lines fluctuate in his performances and rhythms transform into color textures. In his emotional world, the complaining and deep tones of traditional Classical Turkish Music are blended with the liberating texture of painting art. Erol Deran's music offers the listener not just a melody but also an auditory composition, recognized for interpreting the instrumental richness of Turkish art music with academic precision.
Works and Recordings
Erol Deran's performance world is considered one of the most prominent examples of qanun virtuosity in the Classical Turkish Music canon. Among the representative recordings of the artist, the "Taksim of Transition from Sultaniyegah to Ferahfeza" stands out, where transitions between makams are processed with technical mastery. His repertoire includes Nihavent and Kürdilihicazkar saz sماعيلs, as well as joint taksim works in Acemaşiran, Şehnaz, Segah, and Buselik makams. These instrumental pieces are concrete evidence of the sound interpretation he developed during the process spanning from his radio years to his academic career.
In the artist's discography, the works titled "Kanun Soloları" published in 1993 and "Müzik ve Resimle Geçen 75 Yıl" released in 2012 stand out. In addition, the Long Play recording of the Bosphorus Turkish Music Ensemble, the solo CD project realized in Greece, and two Classical Turkish Music CDs published in Turkey are important documents recording the artist's presence on international and local stages. These recordings are considered fundamental works reflecting Erol Deran's versatile identity in both music and visual arts fields.
Context
Erol Deran is a figure who played a key role in the transition process from the Radio era performance tradition of Classical Turkish Music to academic music education, standing out with his qanun virtuosity and versatile artist identity. The artist, who began his career at Istanbul Radio in 1957, after continuing his works at Ankara Radio in the 1960s, was appointed as a lecturer at İ.T.Ü. State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1975. During this process where he took on the head of the main art department of plucked instruments with his academic title and rose to professorship, he positioned himself as an educator contributing to the institutional memory of traditional music.
His musical personality was shaped by his technical mastery over the qanun instrument and his unique stance in taksim forms. His performances in makams such as Nihavent, Şehnaz, Kürdilihicazkar, and Segah are documented particularly with long-term works at İTÜ Conservatory and solo albums (Kanun Solos etc.). However, Erol Deran also developed his career not only as a musician but as a painter who graduated from the State Academy of Fine Arts; he appeared in international platforms such as Budapest in works combining painting and music, and received an award in an international painting competition in 2000.
The artist started with music with the first lessons given by his father and composer Burhanettin Deran, and continued this heritage with his teaching membership at İTÜ and the biographical book he wrote about his father. Upon examining sources, although small-scale data discrepancies are encountered regarding birth place (Ankara/Polatlı) and graduation years, radio and academic transition dates are generally given consistently. On the other hand, there is no record regarding the artist's death date in existing sources; his duty at Haliç University in 2004 is focused on as the final period of his career. This situation indicates the necessity of current tracking of biographical data.
Legacy
Erol Deran's place in the art world has not remained limited to his performer identity; it has shaped as a figure contributing to academic discipline, visual arts, and the writing of music history. His career journey, which began with his entry into the staff of Istanbul Radio in 1957, witnessed the years that were the cornerstone of the publishing culture of classical Turkish music, covering the Ankara Radio period. Later, returning to his academic duty at İTÜ State Conservatory of Turkish Music formed one of the rare bridges connecting the radio tradition with the higher education system. Deran, who rose to the Head of the Main Art Department of Plucked Instruments within the conservatory, took the professorship title in 2002 and performed these duties until 2004.
His musical legacy is defined by the technical mastery showing itself in taksim and saz semai forms focusing on qanun virtuosity. His proficiency on makams such as "Nihavent Saz Semai", "Acemaşiran Joint Taksim", and similar ones met with the listener particularly with album works such as the 1993 "Kanun Solos". His representation duties abroad also document the artist's presence on international stages. Representing Turkey at the International Baghdad Music Conference, which he attended with the invitation of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Promotion in 1982, is a concrete indicator of his competence in this area.
Deran's versatile talents also reflect his artistic stance going beyond music. The painting works of the artist, who graduated from the State Academy of Fine Arts, are located in domestic and foreign collections, and the slide show and concert held in Budapest in 1999 demonstrated his interdisciplinary approach. Entering the top 20 in the Universal Painting Competition organized by Windsor & Newton in 2000 reinforced his success in these fields.
His artistic heritage was nourished not only by performance but also with a sense of historical responsibility. By publishing a book about his father Burhanettin Deran's life and compositions, he gained a source for classical music literature. Although there is no exact information about the artist's final period and death in current sources, it is understood that he started his work at Haliç University in 2004 and his art continued with the 2012 work "75 Years Spent with Music and Painting". Erol Deran has left a unique legacy in the academic and artistic memory of Classical Turkish Music, blending music and visual arts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Erol Deran's music career and academic duties develop? The artist began his career as a qanun artist at Istanbul Radio in 1957 and took on duties at Ankara Radio between 1963-1968. Later, he was appointed as a lecturer at İ.T.Ü. State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1975, reached the rank of professor in 2002, and retired in 2004.
In which maqams is the artist known for his taksim and works? Erol Deran stands out with taksim and saz semai interpretations in makams such as Nihavent, Acemaşiran, Şehnaz, Kürdilihicazkar, Segah, and Buselik. Especially recordings such as "Nihavent Saz Semai" and "Transition from Sultaniyegah to Ferahfeza" display his technical mastery.
In which artistic fields did Erol Deran work besides music? Deran graduated from Sabih Gözen's fabric design workshop at the State Academy of Fine Arts and also worked in the field of painting. He is a versatile artist who received a Commendation award in Bolu, entered the top 20 in an international painting competition in 2000, and held an exhibition in Budapest.
What are the published important album and book works? There are albums titled "Kanun Soloları" dated 1993 and "Müzik ve Resimle Geçen 75 Yıl" dated 2012 in his discography. Additionally, he published a biographical book titled "The Life and Compositions of Burhanettin Deran" about his father and composer Burhanettin Deran's life and compositions.
Which events did he represent Turkey in internationally? The artist represented Turkey by attending the International Baghdad Music Conference with the invitation of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Promotion in 1982. Additionally, he presented a show on his painting and music works at the Szechenyi State Library in Budapest in 1999.
Can exact information be reached about the artist's death and final period? There is no clear information about Erol Deran's death date in existing sources. His duty at Haliç University in 2004 and the 2012 publication are referenced as the final period of his career, but current tracking of biographical data is required.