Kanun improvisation played by Tahir Aydogdu with Suzidil makam.

Improvisation played by Tahir Aydogdu with Suzidil Makam.

A Global Qanun  Master.
Tahir AYDOĞDU

    He was born in İstanbul in 1959 and graduated from METU (Middle East Technical University) in 1983.  Tahir Aydoğdu started his musical studies in his high school years. He got the first music and theory lessons from his father Gültekin Aydoğdu who was the kanun virtuoso of the TRT Ankara Radio and the chief of the Fasil Society at that time. By succeeding the TRT exam in 1981, he joined the Ankara Radio as a kanun virtuoso. He worked with the worthwhile musicians within the institution that have been serving as a conservatory since its establishment in 1938. Aydoğdu had a chance to enhance his knowledge and experiences within Ankara Radio by accompanying to numerous groups and musicians and joining radio and television broadcasts.
    For a long time, he worked with Modern Folklore Trio which is one of the most popular groups in our country, and he gave concerts at both at home and abroad. In 1990, Aydoğdu joined in AsiaMinor and performed in festivals in Ankara and İstanbul, gave concerts at home and abroad and attended several workshops and festivals. With AsiaMinor, he released the albums “Sokak Boyunca” at Vienne in 1991, “Longanova” at Ankara in 1994 and “Kedi Rüyası” in 1997. He also involved in several albums including “Cinuçen Tanrıkorur’un bestelerinde Yahya Kemal” with the Ud virtuoso Cinuçen Tanrıkorur, “Balkananatolia” with Yıldız İbrahimova, “From Sufi Music to Flamenco” with Dutch and Spanish musicians and “Afife” with Moscow Radio Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestrate. He also accompanied to Selman Ada’s opera “Ali Baba and Kırk Haramiler” with kanun and arranged the music of “Harem” ballet in September 1999. 
    Besides the musical works, he gave conferences at home and abroad on the subject of “Kanun and Turkish Music”, and he conducted the program named “Tellerden Dökülen Nağmeler” in TRT Radio-4 between 2002 and 2008. This program brought him the medal of honor in 2005 on the branch of communication within Social Fair-Play Prizes organized annually by National Olympic Committee of Turkey.
    Aydoğdu is the second musician performing Ferid Alnar’s Kanun Concerto aside from its composer and the first musician performing Ciftetelli. He performed Kanun Concerto with the distinguished orchestras and various stringed quartets or our country both at home and abroad.  Aydoğdu realized the records of the Kanun Concerto and the Ciftetelli towards the end of 2000, with the support of Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.
    Besides his musical identity, he worked as an academic at METU Department of Music and Fine Arts from 1987 to 2001, conducted ODTU Classical Turkish Music Society as well as gave concerts with them and raised approximately a thousand students.
    One of the most important events of his life is to be prized with the METU Recognition Award on 25 May 2005. Aydoğdu is a member of the World Cymballo Association centered in Budapest, and he was the directorate of TRT Ankara Radio’s Turkish Classical Music unit between 1997-2000. He also gave lectures at Gazi University’s Department of Musical Training.
    The first solo album of Tahir Aydoğdu, who represented our country with hundreds of concerts given in approximately fifty countries including America and Japan, was released in June 2004 from Kalan Music. “Kanun Method” that he prepared with his father Gültekin Aydoğdu was published by Yurt Renkleri in Ankara in October 2004. As of July 2009, Aydoğdu has made 23 albums both at home and abroad with various artists and groups. Currently, he is pursuing his career as a kanun virtuoso. At the same time, he is conducting METU Alumni Association’s Turkish Music Choir. He is married to vocal artist Hülya Aydoğdu who is working at Ankara State Classical Turkish Music Choir of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and has advanced knowledge in English.


Web page: www.tahiraydogdu.com
E-mail: tahir.aydogdu@gmail.com