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 is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in 1900. Her father was the chamberlain of

Ottoman sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire (), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to Dissolution of the Ottoman Em ...

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

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

tambur The is a fretted string instrument of Turkey and the former lands of the Ottoman Empire. There are two variants, one of which is played with a plectrum (''mızraplı tambur'') and the other with a bow ('' yaylı tambur''). The player is call ...

virtuosa. She married Refik Fersan (1895–1963), a

Turkish classical music Ottoman music () or Turkish classical music (, or more recently ) is the tradition of classical music originating in the Ottoman Empire. Developed in the palace, major Ottoman cities, and Sufi lodges, it traditionally features a solo singer wi ...

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 The Zincirlikuyu Cemetery () is a modern burial ground in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. It is administered by the Metropolitan Municipality. Many prominent figures from the world of politics, business, sports and arts rest here. The ce ...

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'' (), ('pear-shaped kemenche') or (, 'Constantinopolitan lyre') is a pear-shaped bowed instrument that derived from the medieval Greek Byzantine lyre. It was mainly used by Greeks, Greek immigrants from Asia Minor an ...

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 broadcaster in Turkey. Before the introduction of commercial radio ...

radio in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

. 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 public conservatory affiliated with Istanbul University, specializing in music, theatre, and dance, located in Istanbul. It is recognized ...

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 a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...

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), known by the pen name ''Yahya Kemal'', was a Turkish poet, author, politician and diplomat. Early life and education Yahya Kemal was born Ahmet Âgâh on 2 December ...

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 Turkish classical musicians