Fahire Fersan (1900 – 3 January 1997) was a Turkish female classical kemençe virtuosa.

Private life

Fahire Fersan was born to Faik Bey and his spouse Şem'inur Hanım in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in 1900. Her father was the

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...

Abdul Hamid II Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...

(reigned 1876–1909). Her sister Faize Ergin became later a

tambur The ''tambur'' (spelled in keeping with TDK conventions) is a fretted string instrument of Turkey and the former lands of the Ottoman Empire. Like the ney, the armudi (lit. pear-shaped) kemençe and the kudüm, it constitutes one of the four in ...

virtuosa. She married

Refik Fersan Refik is a masculine given name of Arabic origin meaning friend, associate, husband, companion or fellow. It may refer to: *Refik Durbaş (1944–2018), Turkish poet, writer *Ahmet Refik Altınay (1881–1937), Ottoman historian, writer and poet *Re ...

(1895–1963), a

Turkish classical music Ottoman music ( tr, Osmanlı müziği) or Turkish classical music ( tr, Türk sanat müziği) is the tradition of classical music originating in the Ottoman Empire. Developed in the palace, major Ottoman cities, and Sufi lodges, it traditionally ...

composer and tambur virtuoso. She gave birth to two sons Hayrettin, İmran and three daughters Melek, Firuzan, Emine. Fahire Fersan died in Istanbul on 3 January 1997. She was interred at

Zincirlikuyu Cemetery __NOTOC__ The Zincirlikuyu Cemetery ( tr, Zincirlikuyu Mezarlığı) is a modern burial ground residing on the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of polit ...

following the religious funeral service held at Levent Mosque.

Musician career

She started her musician career at an early age by taking

classical kemençe The classical ''kemenche'' ( tr, Klasik kemençe), ('pear-shaped kemenche') or ( el, πολίτικη λύρα, 'Constantinopolitan lyre') is a pear-shaped bowed instrument that derived from the medieval Greek byzantine lyre. It was mainly u ...

lessons from

Tamburi Cemil Bey Tanburi Cemil Bey (1873, Istanbul – July 28, 1916, Istanbul) was an Ottoman tanbur, Turkish tambur, yaylı tambur, kemençe, and lavta virtuoso and composer, who has greatly contributed to the ''taksim'' (improvisation on a makam/maqam) g ...

(1873–1916). After her marriage, the couple went to Switzerland, where she had to interrupt her musical education. She resumed her musical lessons following her return to Turkey, and continuing until the death of Cemil Bey. She played the classical kemençe long time with her husband at the state-owned

TRT The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT; Turkish : ) is the national public broadcaster of Turkey, founded in 1964. TRT was for many years the only television and radio provider in Turkey. Before the introduction of commercial radio i ...

radio in

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

. Later, the couple performed at TRT Radio Istanbul, where they gave also lessons. She worked at the

Istanbul Municipal Conservatory The Istanbul University State Conservatory ( Turkish: İstanbul Üniversitesi Devlet Konservatuarı) is a music, theatre, dance university in Istanbul. It is the oldest conservatory and the oldest continually operating music school in Turkey. It ...

and at private radio stations as well. She made many

gramophone record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

s along with her husband. She also accompanied Turkish classical music singer

Münir Nurettin Selçuk Münir Nurettin Selçuk (1900 or 1901 – April 27, 1981) was a Turkish classical musician and tenor singer. Biography He was born in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire in 1900 or 1901. His uncle was Grand Vizier of ...

at numerous concerts and recordings. She was a notable virtuosa, and was praised by poet

Yahya Kemal Beyatlı Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, born ''Ahmet Âgâh'' (2 December 1884 – 1 November 1958), generally known by the pen name ''Yahya Kemal'', was a leading Turkish poet and author, as well as a politician and diplomat. Early life and education Yahya Kema ...

as "All Istanbul starts to talk in her kemençe".

References

External links

Listen to 100+ Fahire Fersan Songs for Free on Neverending Playlist (Fahire Fersan "Reşit Çağın Arşivi 633 Refik Fersan: Lavtacı Andon'un Hüseyni Saz Semâisi)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fersan, Fahire 1900 births Musicians from Istanbul 20th-century Turkish women musicians Musicians of Ottoman classical music Musicians of Turkish makam music Turkish classical kemençe players 1997 deaths Burials at Zincirlikuyu Cemetery 20th-century classical musicians