Necdet Yaşar

Necdet Yaşar — Biography

Necdet Yaşar was one of the most respected masters of the tanbur in classical Turkish music. He is counted among the strongest representatives after 1950 of the playing tradition running from Tanburi Cemil Bey to his son Mesut Cemil, and stood out for a new playing technique that let the instrument be used to its full capacity, as well as for his taksim improvisations. He received the title of State Artist in 1991 and died in Istanbul on 24 October 2017.

Born in Nizip, Yaşar came to music through his father's large record collection; he played the bağlama as a child and turned to the tanbur at twenty after hearing Mesut Cemil play. While studying economics at Istanbul University he played with the university choir, and in 1953, on Mesut Cemil's recommendation, he joined Istanbul Radio, where he worked until 1980. His duo with the ney player Niyazi Sayın in the 1960s popularised joint improvisation and influenced later musicians.

From the early 1970s he taught twice at the University of Washington in the United States, and presented Turkish music in concerts and conferences on three continents. He was among the founders of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble and led it until his retirement in 1995. After his death the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality decided to keep his name alive on a street, and several institutions held memorial events.