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İhsan Özgen was born in Urfa in 1942. He is a self-taught musician and performs on kemençe, lavta, violoncello and tanbur. While studying in the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul University, he continued studying music. He mastered the works of Tanburi Cemil Bey and learned techniques of playing violoncello and violin and applied new techniques to play the kemençe, such as new left hand positions and bow techniques. After graduating from Istanbul University in 1967, he started working as a professional musician at TRT Istanbul Radio. Özgen has given numerous concerts in Turkey, the United States, and Europe. He has composed and recorded many works including “Masterworks of Itri & Meragi”, “Remembrances of Ottoman Composers”, “Legacy”, “Cantemir: Music in Istanbul & Ottoman Europe around 1700”. In 1991, Özgen was awarded the Abdi Ipekçi Peace Award in recognition of his work with the Bosphorus Ensemble, a group composed of Turkish and Greek musicians. He is also the leader of the Ensemble Anatolia. He taught as a guest lecturer at University California at Santa Cruz. Currently, Özgen serves as an instructor at the ITU Turkish Music State Conservatory. He is also a co-director of Lux Musica. Besides being a musician, he makes calligraphy, ebru (marbling), miniature and Turkish decorative art works.
Discography:
Masterworks of Itri & Meragi (Golden Horn GHP 008-2 , 1998)
Remembrances of Ottoman Composers (Golden Horn GHP 011-2 , 1999)
Legacy, with Neva Ozgen (Golden Horn GHP 016-2, 2001)
Cantemir: Music in Istanbul and Ottoman Europe around 1700, with Linda Burman-Hall (Golden Horn GHP 019-2, 2004)
Haydn and the Gypsies: Music in the Style Hongrois, with Lux Musica
Celtic Caravans: The Road to Romanticism, with Lux Musica
Reference: worldmusiccentral.org, ykykultur.com.tr, goldenhorn.com |
