Salih Bilgin (read Turkish version here)
Introduction
Salih Bilgin, one of the leading ney masters carrying the breath of Turkish Art Music and the Ottoman classical music tradition to modern times, is known for his career stemming from the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music. In addition to his performer identity on important stages such as the State Choir, he participated in the founding processes of the Izmit Municipality Conservatory and worked as a faculty member at his alma mater for many years. His discography, ranging from Cantemir Ensemble projects to the Nevâ series albums prepared together with Murat Aydemir, demonstrates his ability to combine fidelity to the classical repertoire with a modern presentation. Bilgin, emphasizing that playing the ney is not a religious but a spiritual expression, stands out as one of the guardians of cultural heritage not only as a performer but also with his artisanal aspects in fields such as başpare collecting and ney making while interpreting the works of composers such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, and Neyzen Aziz Dede. With this multidimensional approach, he outlines an important artist profile that makes the universal and local connections of Turkish music felt in the same breath.
Biography
Salih Bilgin, who combines ney virtuosity with the academic line in the Turkish Art Music and Ottoman Classical Music tradition, was born in Istanbul in 1960. The artist's musical journey was formalized with his graduation from the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music Ney Department in 1984; the same year, he joined the State Choir, bringing his stage experience to a professional discipline.
Serving as a foundation for music education for a significant portion of his career, Bilgin was among the founders of the Izmit Municipality Conservatory and served as a ney instructor at this institution for four years. His return to his graduate school took place as a faculty member within I.T.U., and he remained in the academic staff of the conservatory from 1989 until September 2001. During this process, by interpreting masterworks such as the Nevâ Pesrevi, Pençgâh Sazsemâîsi, and Hicaz Sazsemâîsi of masters like Tanburî Cemil Bey, Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, and Neyzen Aziz Dede, he contributed to the transmission of the classical repertoire to younger generations.
Collaborations in the art world also stand out among the works bearing Bilgin's signature. Concerts he gave in the USA with Romeiko Ensemble in 1996 and 2003 revealed the artist's representation power on the international stage. Bilgin, who participated in concerts with the Cantemir Ensemble group and a two-CD work recording, also left his mark on popular culture by preparing the music for the TV series "İkinci Bahar" within the İncesaz ensemble. Continuing his academic studies, the ney player wrote the "Ney" section of his work titled "Türk Müziği".
The "Nevâ" series albums (2004-2009) realized together with Murat Aydemir stand out in his discography. In addition, "Cantemir Ensemble" works and albums accompanying the book "Türk Musikisinde Makamlar" form the artist's archive. The "Dem Bu Dem" album, expected to be released in 2026 according to sources, is also among his career plans.
In his private life, Bilgin, who intertwines art and tradition, is married to kemençe artist Yağmur Damla Bilgin and is a father to a daughter. Known as the person to make the first başpare collection in Turkey, Bilgin is also interested in craft arts such as ney making, ebru, and tespih, in addition to this collecting which has continued uninterrupted for 30 years. The artist, who describes playing the ney as "not a religious thing but a spiritual thing", has a view that places spiritual and aesthetic integrity in the foreground in music. Although some sources contain discrepancies regarding details such as birth date and teaching start year, his academic and artistic studies on Turkish music and the Ottoman classical legacy define Bilgin as a leading name in his field.
Style
Salih Bilgin has a style blended with academic discipline within the ney school of Turkish Art Music and the Ottoman Classical Music tradition. As a ney player, the artist stands out with his instrumental expression rather than vocalization; he described the act of playing the ney as a spiritual experience rather than a religious ritual; and this approach reflected in the nature of his sound as calm, deep, and holding aesthetic integrity. His repertoire includes works of important composers of the classical period such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, Neyzen Aziz Dede, and Veli Dede, carrying this legacy to the present day with masterworks such as Nevâ Pesrevi and Pençgâh Sazsemâîsi.
The technical foundation coming from the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music education and the works in ensembles such as Cantemir Ensemble form a structure in his interpretation that preserves the traditional framework but is strengthened by stage practice. The "Nevâ" series albums realized together with Murat Aydemir are considered among the strongest examples of this musical understanding recorded, while the series music "İkinci Bahar" made with the İncesaz ensemble indicates the artist's ability to carry classical techniques to different constructs. At its core lies a production culture intertwined with crafts such as ney making, ebru, and tespih, and Bilgin keeps his interest in cultural heritage areas such as başpare collecting on a similar line with the precision in his music.
Songs and Recordings
Salih Bilgin's art career is shaped through instrumental works and recordings primarily represented by the ney instrument. Among the artist's prominent works, which have a repertoire loyal to the classical Turkish and Ottoman music tradition, are the Nevâ Pesrevi composed by Tanburî Cemil Bey and the Pençgâh Sazsemâîsi by Dimitrie Kantemiroglu. His repertoire also includes classical forms such as Neyzen Aziz Dede's Uşşak Saz Semaisi, Ferahfezâ Pesrevi, and Veli Dede's Hicaz Sazsemâîsi.
A significant part of his musical works consists of album projects. The Nevâ series prepared together with Murat Aydemir is among the artist's best-known recordings. Although there are discrepancies in sources regarding the publication year of the Nevâ album between 2004 and 2005, the information that Nevâ 2 album was published in 2009 exists. His two-CD work recording with Cantemir Ensemble and the two albums accompanying the book "Türk Musikisinde Makamlar" are also part of the effort to record the academic and cultural legacy. Additionally, the music composed for the İkinci Bahar television series with the İncesaz ensemble reflects the artist's contributions to the media world. As stated in the sources, the Dem Bu Dem album expected to be published in 2026 is listed as a continuing work in the current musical production cycle.
Artistic and Historical Context
Salih Bilgin is defined as one of the important representatives of the ney tradition of Turkish Art Music within academic discipline from the 1980s onwards. Shaping his career with both stage performance and contributions to music education, the artist joined the State Choir after graduating from the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music Ney Department in 1984. Being among the founders of the Izmit Municipality Conservatory, in addition to his role in local music education, being a faculty member at I.T.U. between 1989 and September 2001 are the fundamental determinants that integrate him into the history of Turkish music education.
His repertoire focuses on preserving and interpreting the Ottoman classical music legacy. Bilgin, who carries the classical tones to the present day by performing works such as Nevâ Pesrevi and Pençgâh Sazsemâîsi of masters like Tanburî Cemil Bey, Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, and Neyzen Aziz Dede, also gave concerts in the USA working with ensembles like Cantemir Ensemble and Romeiko Ensemble. His impact in popular culture also stands out with realizing the music of TV series such as "İkinci Bahar" with the İncesaz ensemble. Preparing the "Nevâ" series together with Murat Aydemir is among the works centering on the instrumental dimension of ney art.
The artist's stance is based on a viewpoint emphasizing that the ney is a spiritual tool beyond being a technical performance tool. His works in cultural areas such as başpare collecting, ney making, and ebru art enable him to be positioned not just as a performer but also as a cultural worker. When the connection with names such as kemençe artist Yağmur Damla Bilgin in the artist's family and artistic environment is taken into consideration, it is seen that family collaborations also have a share in the artist's continuation of the musical legacy. Although there are discrepancies regarding some chronological details such as birth date and teaching start year in sources, Bilgin's I.T.U. legacy and contribution to Turkish Art Music education create an uninterrupted academic and artistic integrity.
Artistic Legacy and Influences
The ney, considered one of the most technical and aesthetic instruments of Turkish Art Music, was redefined by Salih Bilgin at a point where academic discipline and stage experience intersect. The artist, throughout the years he spent as a student and then faculty member of the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music, made important contributions to the quality of conservatory education and the theoretical foundation of music. Participating in the founding of the Izmit Municipality Conservatory, Bilgin expanded his educator perspective, and his tenure as faculty at the school he graduated from between 1989 and September 2001 left deep traces in the institution's memory.
His performance career also spreads across a wide range. In addition to his works at the State Choir, participating in concerts and recording studies of international ensembles such as Cantemir Ensemble shows that he played an active role in preserving the repertoire of Ottoman classical music. Especially in works where he interprets the works of composers such as Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, Tanburî Cemil Bey, and Neyzen Aziz Dede, he transferred to the modern listener while remaining faithful to the historical texture. The "Nevâ" series albums prepared together with Murat Aydemir and Cantemir Ensemble recordings stand out as one of the most important archives recording this legacy.
Salih Bilgin's influence did not remain only behind the stage and within conservatory boundaries; he met with the masses through television productions. Signing the İkinci Bahar TV series music with the İncesaz ensemble was one of the important steps that led to the Turkish Art Music gaining a place in popular culture memory. In addition, by advocating the view that playing the ney is not a religious ritual but a spiritual expression, he added philosophical depth to the instrument's tone. With his initiatives such as ney making and being among the first başpare collectors in Turkey, Bilgin, remembered not only as a musician but also as a cultural protector, has been recorded as an important figure who transferred his works and knowledge to future generations. Although some chronological details in his career differ in sources, the academic studies, book sections, and albums he left behind are concrete data that determine his place in Turkish music history.
Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Salih Bilgin's education and academic career? The artist graduated from the I.T.U. State Conservatory of Turkish Music Ney Department in 1984 and joined the State Choir in the same year. Bilgin, who served in the founding processes of the Izmit Municipality Conservatory, worked as a faculty member at his alma mater from 1989 until September 2001. Although there are some discrepancies in sources regarding chronological details such as birth date and teaching start year, this period forms the basis of his academic career.
### Which album works and recordings stand out? The "Nevâ" series albums (between 2004-2009) prepared together with Murat Aydemir are among the artist's best-known recordings. Additionally, he recorded a two-CD work with Cantemir Ensemble, published albums accompanying the book "Türk Musikisinde Makamlar", and prepared the music for the "İkinci Bahar" TV series within the İncesaz ensemble. The "Dem Bu Dem" album, expected to be released in 2026 according to sources, is also among his career plans.
### Which composers' works are included in his repertoire? The artist, loyal to the classical Turkish and Ottoman music tradition, interprets the works of composers such as Tanburî Cemil Bey, Dimitrie Kantemiroglu, Neyzen Aziz Dede, and Veli Dede. Masterworks such as Nevâ Pesrevi, Pençgâh Sazsemâîsi, Hicaz Sazsemâîsi, Uşşak Saz Semaisi, and Ferahfezâ Pesrevi are included in his repertoire.
### What is his artistic view regarding playing the ney? Salih Bilgin describes playing the ney not as a religious ritual but as a spiritual expression. This view, which places spiritual and aesthetic integrity in the foreground in music, appears as an expression of calmness and depth in his sound tone.
### What is known about the artist's personal interests and family life? He is married to kemençe artist Yağmur Damla Bilgin and is a father to a daughter. Known as the person to make the first başpare collection in Turkey, Bilgin is also interested in craft arts such as ney making, ebru, and tespih, in addition to this collecting which has continued uninterrupted for 30 years.