Hasan Esen (read Turkish version here)
Introduction
Hasan Esen is one of the rare voices that descends into the depths of the Turkish Art Music tradition, touching not just an instrument but a heritage. The artist, who began his music journey with the violin in the early 1970s, eventually found his own path in the world of the intricate Classical Kemençe. The disciplined education he received at the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music and the years he spent as a Kemençe Artist on the TRT roster laid the institutional foundations of his musical identity. During this process, he embarked on a path not only to discover the existing repertoire but also to rediscover the voices that had remained on the dusty shelves of history.
The most distinguishing feature of Hasan Esen's musical portrait is the revival of forgotten instruments with archaeological sensitivity. He led the return of instruments like the Rebab and Sine Keman, believed to have not been played for years, to the performance areas of classical ensembles by commissioning exact copies of them. This effort makes him not just a virtuoso, but also a living guardian of music history. His place in the same school as master names such as Necdet Yaşar, Kudsi Erguner, and Niyazi Sayın appears as a reflection of this sensitivity of art.
The depth he adds to the instrumental taksim (improvisation) culture and the saz semai repertoire is felt in his albums and compositions. Esen, who combines his Makam knowledge with the art of taksim with works such as "Kemençe Taksimleri" and "Rebab Taksimleri", addresses a broad spectrum with both his instrumental and vocal artistry aspects. Compositions with high emotional depth and traditional tones in his repertoire bring the listener face to face with old flavors. Hasan Esen is one of the rare names in the Turkish music scene who both preserves the traditional form and reminds of the forgotten ones, displaying a strong stance regarding the continuity of art.
Biography
Hasan Esen, born in Sivas in 1958, has built a career dedicated to the classical traditions of Turkish Art Music. The artist, who started his musical life by playing the violin in the early 1970s, cemented his talent at the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music. Accepted into the conservatory in 1978, Esen was included in the TRT roster as a Kemençe Artist in 1981 and secured an important place in the institutional music world. The artist, who completed his conservatory education in 1983, reinforced this success in his career by passing the TRT Choir Conductorship exam in 1999, and also guided young generations as a faculty member at the İ.T.Ü. State Conservatory of Turkish Music and Haliç University Conservatory.
His artistic identity is shaped particularly by a virtuosity focused on the classical kemençe and instrumental music interpretation. Esen, who interprets the taksim and saz semai repertoire from the Ottoman era to the present with a deep Makam knowledge, is known for his Saz Semâî' performances in Makams such as Sultânî-Yegâh, Muhayyerkürdî, and Kürdilihicazkar. Compositions such as "Ağla çeşmim eski lezzet kalmamış peyanede", "Ben solmuş bir yaprak gülün dalında", and "Bu gece yine daldım gittim eski günlere" have also found their place in memory both as a composer and an interpreter.
One of Hasan Esen's most unique contributions to music history is his efforts to make the voices of forgotten or fallen instruments heard again. He had the exact copy of the Sinekaman instrument, which had not been played for years, made and ensured its performance in classical ensembles; he learned the forgotten Rebab instrument and led its spread. The artist, who adds richness to his repertoire, has composed works in 20 separate forms in addition to the different numbers specified in sources, and is the owner of a total of 6 or 7 awards from various competitions, notably the Tanbûrî Cemil Bey Award. A contemporary of artists such as Necdet Yaşar, Kudsi Erguner, and Nidâ Tüfekçi and located in the same musical world with them, Esen has deepened his discography with albums such as "Rebab", "Kemençe Taksimleri", and "Sine Keman Taksimler". The artist, noted in sources dated 2025-2026 as being alive, continues his mission of reviving forgotten instruments and keeping the classical Turkish music taksim tradition alive.
Style
Hasan Esen's musical identity is a legacy combined with academic discipline, developed particularly along the Kemençe axis of the Turkish Art Music instrumental tradition. His musical journey beginning with the violin in the early 1970s, along with the technical infrastructure spent at the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music and his career in the TRT roster, creates an impression of strong technical mastery in his performance, equipped with Makam knowledge. The artist is known not only for being limited to the current repertoire but also for leading the revival of forgotten instruments such as Rebab and Sine Keman. In this respect, his performance languages are balanced between archaeological sensitivity that carries the sound texture of Ottoman music history to the present and classical kemençe virtuosity.
Esen, who can switch between vocal and instrumental interpretations, also reveals his side as a vocal artist by interpreting works such as "Ağla çeşmim eski lezzet kalmamış peymanede", "Ben solmuş bir yaprak gülün dalında", and "Bu gece yine daldım gittim eski günlere" in his repertoire. Especially his works in saz semai forms such as "Sultânî-Yegâh", "Muhayyerkürdî", and "Kürdilihicazkar" display a structure where melodic development and rhythmic integrity are handled sensitively. Album titles such as "Rebab", "Kemençe Taksimleri", and "Sine Keman Taksimler" clearly show that the artist's main focus is instrumental music based on improvisation (taksim) culture and Makam.
In his emotional world, longing for the past and the search for "old taste" stand out. Nostalgic themes processed in his compositions and the pieces he sings strengthen the impression that he uses music as a time travel tool. His efforts to compose works in 20 separate forms and successes received from various competitions, notably the Tanbûrî Cemil Bey Award, concretize the responsibility of preserving this traditional heritage. Hasan Esen demonstrates a unique approach that not only adds technical mastery but also the sound of historical instruments to the classical Turkish music literature by blending disciplined conservatory education with unique instrument searches.
Songs and Recordings
Hasan Esen has shaped his musical identity as a vocal artist interpreting Turkish Art Music compositions and as an instrumental virtuoso, particularly with the Classical Kemençe. His discography is filled with recordings that shed light on both the traditional repertoire and the sound world of forgotten instruments in the process extending from the 1970s to the present day. The artist's composer identity and performance ability show themselves clearly especially in saz semai forms and taksim culture.
Among the most prominent examples of his works are compositions with modal depth. Sultânî-Yegâh, Muhayyerkürdî, and Kürdilihicazkar Saz Semais are the main works reflecting Esen's composer and performance understanding within the classical form. In his vocal repertoire, pieces such as "Ağla çeşmim eski lezzet kalmamış peymanede", "Ben solmuş bir yaprak gülün dalında", "Bu gece yine daldım gittim eski günlere", and "Yeter artık sen bana o yeşil gözlerle bakma" reveal his sensitivity and interpretation power over word composition.
The artist's recordings also document the history of the instruments he performs, not just his compositions. The 1989 *Kemençe Taksimleri* is among the important instrumental works of its time. His efforts to make the sound of historical instruments such as Rebab and Sine Keman heard again in subsequent years materialized in the albums *Rebab* (2004), *Sine Keman Taksimler (Viola D'amore Improvisations)* (2010), and *Rebab Taksimleri* (2010). In addition to these recordings, the works *Klasik Kemençe Taksimleri (Osmanlıdan Günümüze)* (2008) and *Taksim - Improvisations on Traditional Turkish Modes* (2009) focus on the improvisational side of traditional Makams. The work titled *Derviş Ve Şehir* (2026) mentioned in sources takes its place among current publications.
Although the total number of Hasan Esen's compositions varies between sources (although there are reports varying from 120 to 750), it is understood that he composed works in 20 separate forms of every kind and has a rich accumulation within the TRT repertoire. These recordings are of reference for the listener in the context of preserving classical Turkish music traditions and keeping instrumental improvisation alive.
Context
Hasan Esen is a Turkish Art Music virtuoso born in Sivas in 1958, starting with the violin in the early 1970s and deepening in the art of Classical Kemençe. His entry to the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1978 and his inclusion in the TRT roster as a Kemençe Artist in 1981 are critical turning points where his career sat on an institutional ground. After graduating from the conservatory in 1983, continuing to serve in TRT, Esen reinforced his authority in both performance and conducting by passing the TRT Choir Conductorship exam in 1999. In his academic career, he worked as a faculty member in various institutions, notably İ.T.Ü. State Conservatory of Turkish Music and Haliç University Conservatory, contributing to Turkish music education.
Esen's musical identity is built on keeping the instrumental Taksim culture alive and reviving instruments that have tended to be forgotten in the traditional repertoire. Especially his effort to popularize the performance of historical instruments such as Rebab and Sine Keman has placed him in a unique position in the classical Turkish music community. While his discography spreads to a wide instrumental range, mainly consisting of Kemençe taksims and saz semais, his interpretation of classical TSM compositions such as "Ağla çeşmim", "Ben solmuş bir yaprak", and "Bu gece yine daldım gittim" also puts his vocal artistry aspect in front of the eyes. Although there are differences regarding the number of works in sources regarding composition activities (numbers varying between 120 and 750), it is known that the total of the new forms he added to the repertoire made a significant contribution to repertoire richness. His receiving six or seven awards from various competitions, notably the Tanbûrî Cemil Bey Award, is a sign that his talent left its mark on the era.
Alongside contemporaries such as Necdet Yaşar, Kudsi Erguner, Niyazi Sayın, and Alâeddin Yavaşça, the connections he established with colleagues in TRT and the academic world show the breadth of Hasan Esen's musical network. Especially by being among the artists who keep the taksim tradition alive from the Ottoman era to the present, he has played an important role in the preservation and transmission of classical Turkish music to future generations. Although there are inconsistencies in sources regarding exact birth dates and some biographical details, the effort he showed for the sustainability of Turkey's musical heritage has been recorded as the artist's outstanding legacy.
Artistic Legacy and Impact
Hasan Esen is one of the rare figures standing out as a classical kemençe virtuoso and a reviver of forgotten instruments with archaeological sensitivity in the institutional memory of Turkish Art Music. His works carried out as an artist and choir conductor on the TRT roster since the 1970s have left an imprint in memory by placing him at the center of both the performance and publishing dimensions of music. The teaching duties he assumed at the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music and Haliç University enabled the artist to serve as a bridge transferring his musical knowledge to future generations.
The strongest legacy Esen will leave to music history is carrying instruments that lost their sound due to not being performed for a long time, such as Rebab and Sine Keman, back to concert halls. Especially having the original of Sine Keman made and performed in classical ensembles is evaluated not just as an instrument interpretation but also as an effort of "rediscovery" in Turkish music literature. Taksim and saz semai albums published from 1989 to the 2020s have gone down in history as recordings that present the depth of classical Makams to the listener in an instrumental language.
Although various numbers circulate in sources regarding contributions to composition and repertoire, the artist's effort to revive forgotten forms and produce works with loyalty to Makam knowledge is undeniable. Esen, mentioned along with important names of the era such as Necdet Yaşar, Kudsi Erguner, and Niyazi Sayın, served a line that protects and develops the prestige of instrumental Turkish music. This journey from the lands he was born in Sivas to the academic and institutional music world of Istanbul continues to live in the listener's memory both as the sound of a forgotten instrument and with his own performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Hasan Esen and how did he start his musical career? Born in Sivas in 1958, the artist started his musical life by playing the violin in the early 1970s. The education he received at the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music and the years he spent in the TRT roster laid the institutional foundations of his musical identity.
What are the most important turning points in his career? Esen, who was accepted to the Istanbul Technical University (İ.T.Ü.) State Conservatory of Turkish Music in 1978, was included in the TRT roster as a Kemençe Artist in 1981 and passed the TRT Choir Conductorship exam in 1999. He also guided young generations as a faculty member at İ.T.Ü. and Haliç University Conservatory.
What is Hasan Esen's most unique contribution to Turkish Music literature? The artist has led the return of instruments like Rebab and Sine Keman, believed to have not been played for years, to the performance areas of classical ensembles by commissioning exact copies of them. This effort makes him not just a virtuoso but also a living guardian of music history.
What do his prominent album works and repertoire include? His discography includes albums such as "Kemençe Taksimleri" from 1989, "Rebab" published in 2004, "Rebab Taksimleri", and "Sine Keman Taksimler". His repertoire features Saz Semâî' in Makams such as Sultânî-Yegâh, Muhayyerkürdî, and Kürdilihicazkar and compositions such as "Ağla çeşmim".
What can be said about the number of his compositions and the awards he received? Although there are differences varying between 120 and 750 regarding the total number of his compositions in sources, it is understood that he composed works in 20 separate forms of every kind. He is the owner of a total of 6 or 7 awards from various competitions, notably the Tanbûrî Cemil Bey Award.
Who did he share the same musical school with? He shared the same school as master names such as Necdet Yaşar, Kudsi Erguner, and Niyazi Sayın and was located in the same musical world. These connections show that the artist is located in a line that preserves and develops the Turkish Art Music heritage.