Renowned Turkish musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek to perform Dec. 1 at Ataturk Cultural Center

Omar Faruk Tekbilek, a Turkish musician living in the US, is renowned for his mastery of Turkish traditional instruments such as the baglama, ney, hand drum, zurna and bendir.

By blending Turkish music with world music and incorporating diverse cultures, he continues to bridge traditional and global sounds. This December, he will perform in Türkiye.

Tekbilek will meet music lovers on Dec. 1 at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul with his ensemble with string quartet and on Dec. 3 at CSO Ada Ankara.

Tekbilek noted the influence of American composer, music producer and guitarist Brian Keane on his work.

“We first released the album Suleiman the Magnificent together,” he said.

He explained that the album was created for a documentary and exhibition about Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

“Preparing music from various geographical regions for this film helped us understand that there are four universal common elements in music. The first of these is spiritual music, the second is romantic music, the third is folkloric music, and the fourth is popular music. In all our subsequent works, we used the same format and achieved the same interest and success,” Tekbilek told Anadolu.

He shared that he recognized at a young age how instrumental music resonates more deeply than vocal music.

“Vocal music, being limited to those who speak the language, restricts the universal nature of music. In instrumental music, however, everyone can imagine their own words and make the music their own,” he added.

Discussing Turkish music, he called it “the richest music” in the world because it emerged in a region that has been the cradle of numerous civilizations.

“It is a very important task for every musician to recognize the value of this tradition and present this precious culture to the entire world with a modern understanding. I am aware that I carry out this task with love and by putting my own soul into it, and I am still creating new things. God willing, I will continue to do so until my last breath,” he said.

He credited two musicians for playing pivotal roles in his artistic journey.

“There are two great people and musicians in my life. The first is Orhan Gencebay, who took me under his wing when I first came to Istanbul at a very young age and shared his musical experiences with me. The other is Brian Keane. They both are the top place as my sources of inspiration,” he said.

“I can name many masters who have made significant contributions to me in both musical and philosophical matters. I could mention Aka Gunduz Kutbay, Burhan Tonguc, Ismet Sıral and many American jazz masters as examples,” he said.

Looking ahead to his performances in Istanbul and Ankara, Tekbilek said: “On Sunday evening, Dec. 1, we will have a concert at Istanbul AKM, and on Tuesday evening, Dec. 3, another at CSO ADA Ankara.”

“Both venues are among the most valuable cultural centers in our country. We are very happy and excited about these concerts, which will be held in my home country after a long break.

“As always, we will present some of the most beloved pieces from four different genres of music selected from my albums, as well as examples from our new works. Uniquely, for the first time in Türkiye, in addition to my band, a string quartet and acoustic bass will join us, adding a deeper meaning to our music,” he added.

After the performances, Tekbilek said he looks forward to meeting his audience.

“What excites me even more is that after each of these concerts, I will have the chance to meet with the people of my beloved country, whom I have missed, in the lobbies of the venues.

“I will be signing my albums, as well as my newly released biography book, Nefes/Breath, which is presented in both Turkish and English and contains many artistic photographs, telling the story of my life,” he added.

Having lived in the US for 45 years, Tekbilek recently returned to his hometown of Adana, where he continues his work. He emphasized his goal of sharing his artistic experience more broadly in Türkiye, especially with the younger generation.