Necdet Yaşar

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Necdet Yaşar
Necdet Yaşar in 1972, performing at Istanbul Municipal Conservatory
Background information
Born	1930 Nizip, Gaziantep, Turkey
Origin	Turkey
Genre(s)	Turkish classical
Instrument(s)	Turkish tanbur lute
Label(s)	Kalan, Golden Horn

Necdet Yaşar (approximately "nej-det ya-shar", IPA: [nedʒd̪et̪ jɑ̟ʃɑ̟ɾ]) or Necdet Yasar in the West (born 1930), is a Turkish tanbur lute player and teacher. A founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble, he performed throughout the world as a cultural ambassador for Turkey and taught twice at the University of Washington (USA).^[1] In 1991, the Turkish government awarded him the title of "National Artist".^[2]

[edit] Overview

In 1930, Necdet Yaşar was born in Nizip, a small town near Gaziantep, Turkey. He graduated from the School of Economics, Istanbul University.^[3]

In 1972–73 and 1980–81, Yaşar was a resident artist of the Program of Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington (USA)^[1], where he gave lectures on the makam system of Ottoman classical music.^[3]

In 1988, Yaşar was a founding member of the Istanbul State Turkish Music Ensemble. He directed it until 1995 when he retired.^[3]

In 1991, the Turkish government awarded him the title of "National Artist" (Devlet Sanatçısı).^[2]

In small and large ensembles, including his own "The Necdet Yasar Ensemble", he has performed throughout the world, in Europe, East Asia, and North America, as a concert artist and ambassador of Turkish classical music.^[4]

Yaşar is noted for his command of the Turkish makam melodic modes, his influential tanbur techniques, and the construction of his taksim improvisations;^[3] as described by fRoots magazine, "Yaşar's technical mastery is absolute, in particular his use of the range of plectrum techniques that is at the heart of tanbur playing. However, as a musician, what most distinguishes him is his unparalleled knowledge of and insight into the Turkish classical repertoire and the improvisational possibilities presented by its modal system. Yasar is one of those few artists who are both guided by and themselves guide tradition."^[5] He "belongs to a musical lineage going back to at least Tanburi Cemil Bey"^[5], and continued with Mesut Cemil, of whom he was the principal student.^[4] His taksimler solo improvisations and his dual improvisations (beraber taksimleri) with ney flutist Niyazi Sayın are noted for their sensitivity.^{[citation needed]}