Osman Nuri Özpekel (read Turkish version here)
Osman Nuri Özpekel
One of the important figures combining the classical ud sound of Turkish Art Music with the academic and stage dynamics of the modern era is Osman Nuri Özpekel. Born in Erzurum in 1957, the artist has made valuable contributions to the repertoire of Turkish music with his identity as both a performer and a composer. Completing his literature and music education in the same period in 1979, he portrays a versatile artist profile that makes his care for word choice felt in his compositions. His long-term work with Yesârî Asım Arsoy and his faculty membership at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory position him as a transmitter of the mastery tradition.
One of the most notable details in Özpekel's composition world is the discovery of the "Nur-Efzâ" makam. This makam, which emerged accidentally while he was trying to compose for his wife Ayşe Nur Özpekel, has settled in music history by attributing its name to his wife's name. Such personal and aesthetic accumulations have reflected in the artist's albums; reaching the listener in works like "Osman Nuri Özpekel Besteleri" and "Türk Müziği Ustaları – Ud". Known for his works included in the TRT repertoire, Özpekel has made efforts to carry Turkish music to international stages with the recitals he gave from the 1990s onwards.
Another important pillar in the artist's career is the education and transmission process. Following the recitals he gave in Amsterdam between 1994-1997, he continues to keep the Turkish music meşk tradition alive in Europe with the "Zürich Özpekel Meşk Topluluğu" he established in Switzerland. With the word depth brought by his identity as a writer, ud virtuosity, and new makam discoveries, Osman Nuri Özpekel stands before us not only as a performer but also as an artist human preserving and enriching the cultural memory of music.
Biography
Osman Nuri Özpekel, born on March 7, 1957, in Erzurum, is an ud virtuoso and composer who has made a deep contribution to the classical and neoclassical periods of Turkish Art Music. The academic foundations of this artist, who integrates literature and music, were laid with his graduation from Istanbul University Faculty of Literature and Istanbul Municipality Conservatory in 1979. In the first years after graduating, serving as a literature teacher between 1980 and 1984, he served both the education of words and music, reflecting literary depth in his musical interpretation during this period.
Özpekel, who started his musical career in 1983 as an ud artist at the Ministry of Culture Istanbul State Classical Turkish Music Choir, had the opportunity to work with master composer Yesârî Asım Arsoy between the same year and 1992, completing his technical and aesthetic development under his tutelage. With Arsoy's influence and his own competence, he continued to serve as an ud instructor at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory starting from 1984, becoming one of the rare artists who brought the traditional style to academic education. The artist's period in this era was spent with great responsibility in both performance and teaching fields.
In the 1990s, he took important steps regarding the transfer of music culture to the international arena and the preservation of the meşk tradition. Representing Turkish music on the European stage with the recitals he gave in Amsterdam between 1994 and 1997; later, with the "Zürich Özpekel Meşk Topluluğu" he established in Switzerland, he continued his mission of keeping the Turkish music meşk tradition alive on an international level. Thanks to this group, the effort to transmit traditional education methods to today's generations shows that Özpekel is not only a performer but also a cultural envoy.
Also notable with his composer identity, Osman Nuri Özpekel is particularly known for the discovery of the "Nur-Efzâ" makam. His own statements and information in sources state that he found this makam accidentally while trying to compose at his wife's request, and gave it this name attributing it to his wife's "Ayşe Nur" name. Among the pieces he composed are "Baktığım Her Yerde Varsın Dilde Mihmanım Mısın", "Zülfünün zencîrine bend eyledi şâhım beni" and "Rast Kâr-ı Nâtık". Additionally, with the "Nur-Efzâ series" compositions including Peşrev, Ağır Semai, Yürük Semai and Şarkı formats, he added his own makam to the repertoire.
In the artist's discography, the album "Osman Nuri Özpekel Besteleri" published in 2021, and recordings like "Türk Müziği Ustaları – Ud" (2005) and "Şerif Muhiddin Targan – Bütün Eserleri" stand out. Although it is known that his compositions are included in the TRT repertoire, according to sources there are discrepancies in the number of works, but the place of the works added to his repertoire in the Turkish music memory is undisputed. Sharing the same stage and working environment with artists like İsmail Hakkı Özkan, Taner Sayacıoğlu, Reşat Aysu, Özpekel continues his active music life with concert works planned until 2025.
Style
Osman Nuri Özpekel is a modern transmitter of a deep-rooted traditional heritage, equalizing ud virtuosity with composition talent in the interpretation of Turkish Art Music and classical repertoire. Developing his musical identity inspired by a master teacher like Yesârî Asım Arsoy, his approach reflects not only notation and makam rules when performed but also focuses on the literary depth behind the work. In this respect, Özpekel exhibits a musicologist and craftsman posture that works the oral culture of classical Turkish music thoroughly, observing the harmony of words and composed emotions.
In ud performances and compositions, along with classical masterpieces such as Rast Kâr-ı Nâtık, Zülfünün zencîrine bend eyledi şâhım beni, he highlights the "Nur-Efzâ" series as a unique makam discovery. Especially the Nur-Efzâ makam, which he found accidentally attributing it to his wife's name and composed in honor of "Ayşe Nur", is the most sincere proof of Özpekel's emotional world and composition personality. In the works in this series, he aims to leave a personal mark by preserving traditional forms such as peşrev, ağır and yürük semai. His repertoire is a structure reaching today with works sung at TRT and album works from 2005 and 2021.
His musical style blends the local stage tradition of Turkey with an international perspective. Through the recitals he gave in Amsterdam and Switzerland from the 1990s and the "Özpekel Meşk Topluluğu" he established in Zurich, he aims to keep the Turkish music meşk tradition alive in Europe within an academic framework. In this process, he combines conservatory-based discipline with the original timbres of classical Turkish music. Having received a literature education strengthens his respect for poetry and text perception in composition and interpretation processes. As a result, Özpekel's style can be defined as a respected and accumulated Turkish Art Music interpretation built on technical mastery, emotional fidelity, and the preservation of traditional bonds.
Songs and Compositions
Osman Nuri Özpekel's composer personality stands out with the neoclassical approach he developed while adhering to the traditional Turkish Art Music form. Among the representative works included in the artist's repertoire are compositions titled "Baktığım Her Yerde Varsın Dilde Mihmanım Mısın", "Zülfünün zencîrine bend eyledi şâhım beni" and "Rast Kâr-ı Nâtık". The most original works in his composition career are gathered under the "Nur-Efzâ series". This series is a comprehensive whole including Peşrev, Ağır Semai, Yürük Semai and Şarkı formats. In relevant sources, it is stated that the process of composing the "Nur-Efzâ" makam started upon his wife's request and the composer gave it this name attributing it to his wife's Ayşe Nur name.
Among the recordings that bring Osman Nuri Özpekel's works to the audience, the album "Osman Nuri Özpekel Besteleri" published in 2021 stands out. In addition, recordings such as "Türk Müziği Ustaları – Ud" (2005) and "Şerif Muhiddin Targan – Bütün Eserleri" (2005) are included in his discography. There are inconsistencies in sources regarding whether his compositions were added to the TRT repertoire; some sources state that about 60 of his works entered the repertoire, while others state 14. Nevertheless, it is known that his works are part of the official repertoire and were performed within the scope of Amsterdam recitals and Switzerland group works.
Context
Osman Nuri Özpekel is among the artists who have an interdisciplinary identity as both an ud virtuoso and a composer, standing out with classical and neoclassical interpretations of Turkish Art Music. Born in Erzurum in 1957, Özpekel built his career by bridging literature teaching and music performance. After completing his university and conservatory education in 1979, the artist who served as a literature teacher between 1980-1984 also took on the role of ud artist at the Ministry of Culture Istanbul State Classical Turkish Music Choir in the same periods and started serving as faculty at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory starting from 1984.
In the artist's musical identity, the work and tutelage process with Yesârî Asım Arsoy between 1981-1992 played a decisive role. Özpekel, who blends this traditional meşk understanding with an academic structure, has left unique traces in his composition as well. The "Nur-Efzâ" makam, which he found accidentally while trying to compose at his wife Ayşe Nur's request and attributed to her name, is known as an important indicator of creativity in his composition perspective. His compositions included in the TRT repertoire are counted among works leaving a mark in our music history.
Intensifying his work in Europe from the mid-1990s, Özpekel gave recitals in Amsterdam between 1994-1997 and established the Zürich Özpekel Meşk Topluluğu in Switzerland, bringing the Turkish music meşk tradition to an international ground. Özpekel, who was part of the artistic journey with names like İsmail Hakkı Özkan, Taner Sayacıoğlu and Reşat Aysu, shows that he continues his work by having concert plans for the year 2025. The artist, whose works meet the audience through albums such as "Osman Nuri Özpekel Besteleri" and "Türk Müziği Ustaları – Ud", maintains his place in Turkish music literature with conservatory-based ud artistry and efforts to keep the meşk tradition alive.
Artist's Legacy
Osman Nuri Özpekel is one of the rare artists who combines ud virtuosity with composition and education in the world of Turkish Art Music, blending academic and stage disciplines. Growing up alongside masters like Yesârî Asım Arsoy shows his fidelity to the musical tradition; while his teaching role at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory has left an important educational legacy with the knowledge he transmitted to younger generations. Not only a performer but also a composer interpreting the literary depth of words and makam, his works included in the TRT repertoire (considering the numerical differences mentioned in sources) are of a reference nature for the classical music listener.
Especially the "Nur-Efzâ" makam, which he found accidentally and composed attributing it to his wife, has entered history as an important cultural detail reflecting the romantic and personal touches of his composition personality. With his work in Amsterdam and Zurich from the 1990s, he has become one of the pioneering figures keeping the Turkish music meşk tradition alive for those living in Europe. Özpekel, who keeps traditional learning methods alive on the international arena with the group he established in Zurich, is evaluated to be alive and continuing his planned works. The albums he published throughout his career and the academic traces he left remind us of him not only as an ud artist but also as a musicologist and cultural envoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Osman Nuri Özpekel's educational background and professional life? Özpekel, born in Erzurum in 1957, completed both literature and music education in 1979. He served as a literature teacher between 1980 and 1984, and took on the role of ud artist at the Ministry of Culture Istanbul State Classical Turkish Music Choir starting from 1983. Additionally, he has served as a faculty member at ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory since 1984.
How was the "Nur-Efzâ" makam discovered and what is it? Özpekel found this makam accidentally while trying to compose attributing it to his "Ayşe Nur" name. This discovery emerged as a result of the composition process he started upon his wife's request and settled in music history as "Nur-Efzâ" by attributing it to her name. A comprehensive "Nur-Efzâ series" consisting of Peşrev, Ağır Semai, Yürük Semai and Şarkı formats was composed.
How many of his works are included in the TRT repertoire? Although it is known that the artist's compositions are included in the TRT repertoire, there are inconsistencies in sources regarding the number of works. Some sources state that about 60 of his works entered the repertoire, while others state 14. Therefore, instead of giving a clear number, it is emphasized that his works are part of the official repertoire.
What are the international stage and education activities? Özpekel, who worked to transfer music culture to the international arena from the 1990s, gave recitals in Amsterdam between 1994-1997. Additionally, he continues his mission of keeping the Turkish music meşk tradition alive in Europe with the "Zürich Özpekel Meşk Topluluğu" he established in Switzerland.
What are the important album works included in his discography? In the artist's discography, the recordings "Türk Müziği Ustaları – Ud" and "Şerif Muhiddin Targan – Bütün Eserleri" released in 2005 stand out. In 2021, the "Osman Nuri Özpekel Besteleri" album was published.
Who has been influential in his music career and what style does he represent? Özpekel completed his technical and aesthetic development thanks to the work he did with master composer Yesârî Asım Arsoy until 1992. Sharing the same stage with names like İsmail Hakkı Özkan, Taner Sayacıoğlu and Reşat Aysu, the artist portrays a versatile artist profile that combines the classical ud sound with the academic and stage dynamics of the modern era, showing care for word selection.