Mustafa Fahir Atakoğlu (, born 28 January 1963) is a Turkish American pianist and composer who has worked with a wide range of artists across many genres of music, ranging in style from symphonic scoring to advertising jingles. He was born in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

, Turkey.

Early life

From the age of 7, Atakoğlu was interested in music and began playing piano and drums. Though his family intended for him to continue in the family business, his mother fostered his interest in music and through his music teacher Muzaffer Uz he was introduced to

Cemal Reşit Rey Cemal Reşit Rey (; 25 October 1904 – 7 October 1985) was a Turkish composer, pianist, script writer and conductor. He was well known for a string of successful and popular Turkish-language operettas for which his brother Ekrem Reşit Rey (1 ...

, Turkey's famous composer, pianist,

script writer A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, and conductor. Atakoğlu studied under Rey from 1977 to 1979. He attended the Istanbul State Conservatory from 1978 to 1980. In 1980 he moved to London and for five years studied at both the London School of Music and

Croydon College Croydon College is a large further and higher education college located in Croydon, within the London Borough of Croydon. Its origins can be traced to a School of Art that was established in 1868, which subsequently merged with Croydon Polytechni ...

. He earned a degree in marketing and advertising from Croydon College in 1983 and returned to Istanbul to work as a jingle composer in the advertising sector.

Career

From 1987 to present, Atakoğlu has created music for commercials, news segments, and documentaries via advertising agencies including Lintas, McCann Erickson, CDP Europe, Young & Rubicam, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Ogilvy & Mather. Atakoğlu acknowledges that his training in ad jingles honed his skill as a composer to create immediate context within his music. He has also composed music for Turkey's top bands and musicians, including Mazhar Fuat Özkan,

Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish pop music singer, songwriter and producer who has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and "''Minik Serçe''" ("Little Spa ...

, and

Sertab Erener Sertab Erener (born 4 December 1964) is a Turkish singer, songwriter and composer. With her coloratura soprano voice, she started working as a backing vocalist for Sezen Aksu, and with Aksu's help she released her first studio album in the 1990 ...

. He also composed music for Greek singer

Notis Sfakianakis Panagiotis "Notis" Sfakianakis ( el, Νότης Σφακιανάκης; born 2 November 1959) is a Greek singer of folk music, and is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career i ...

, whose CD-single " Telos Dihos Telos" - which included Atakoğlu's song of the same name- went 4× platinum with sales over 80,000 copies. Since 1994 Atakoğlu has recorded 10 albums which have sold over 2 million copies in 20 countries. His 2005 album ''If'' is a collaboration featuring bass guitarist Anthony Jackson and percussionist Horacio "EI Negro" Hernandez. In 2008, an album titled ''Istanbul in Blue'' was released in the United States. The album is a wide-ranging set that at first seems like jazz/rock fusion, but also includes the influences of

Turkish music The music of Turkey includes mainly Turkic and Byzantine elements as well as partial influences ranging from Ottoman music, Middle Eastern music and Music of Southeastern Europe, as well as references to more modern European and American popula ...

, some acoustic interludes, and sections that are completely unclassifiable. The album features Atakoğlu on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez on drums,

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

and

Wayne Krantz Wayne Krantz is an American guitarist and composer. He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Donald Fagen, Billy Cobham, Chris Potter, David Binney, and Carla Bley. Since the early 1990s, Krantz has focused primarily ...

on guitars and Bob Franceschini on saxophone. Atakoğlu's scoring includes the adaptation of Metin Kaçan's novel ''Ağır Roman'' (''East Side Story'') into a musical which was performed locally in Turkey as well as at Hollywood's Ford Amphitheater in August 2006 by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. He also composed the soundtracks of hit historical dramas such as ''

Omar ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

'' and '' Magnificent Century''. Atakoglu's 2020 album ''For Love'' is a collobration of different cultures and languages of 42 artists from 8 countries where lyrics are written for Atakoglu's compositions by international musicians. ''For Love'' secured seven first round ballots for 63rd Grammy Awards (2020) including Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year – “Por Amor ” feat. Buika, Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atakoglu, Fahir 1963 births Alumni of Croydon College Jingle composers Living people Male film score composers Male television composers Television composers Turkish film score composers Turkish pianists Male pianists 21st-century pianists 21st-century male musicians American people of Turkish descent

Early life

Career

See also

References

External links