On World Music Day, Listen to the Notes

Listen to the Notes on World Music Day Rahmi M. Koç Museum invites visitors to listen to the notes on World Music Day. World Music Day was first celebrated in 1982 in France as Fête de la Musique, or Festival of Music. Pioneered by French music and dance director Maurice Fleuret on 21 June, the longest day, World Music Day was created to encourage street performances by amateur and professional musicians alike and to develop the concept of music in streets, parks, on rooftops or in front of shops. Over the 41 years since then, it has spread across the world and is now celebrated in over a thousand cities in 120 different countries. Rahmi M. Koç Museum calls on visitors to listen to the notes on World Music Day, which began to be celebrated in Turkey for the first time in 2005. The museum's rich collection of precious objects offers the opportunity to witness the development of musical instruments from the past to the present while sharing many stories.

"The Story of the Hamsi" by Celal Şahin

One of the objects on display at the museum is the accordion of Celal Şahin. Şahin, who became curious about the accordion and band music as a child and displayed his talent in school plays, had his first professional stage experience at the age of 21 in 1946 at Caddebostan Casino. With his programmes on Istanbul Radio, which he joined in 1949, Şahin became famous throughout Turkey. With a programme he called "Lines with Voice," he brought a distinctive form of comedy blending humour and satire to Turkey that was incomparable in his era and beyond. Şahin maintained his fame for many years through social and political satire that blended music and humour on the accordion. In addition to Turkey, he performed his show in Sweden, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. The Hohner brand accordion and records donated to the museum by Şahin's son Onur Şahin inform visitors about the master artist, and the display is accompanied by a sound recording from Şahin's famous "The Story of the Hamsi" record.

Erol Büyükburç's first compositions on this piano

A Swanborough/London piano from the early 1900s, belonging to Emel (Ayas) Büyükburç, wife of Erol Büyükburç, one of the leading figures of Turkish pop music, can also be seen at the museum. The artist couple had the first performances of many of Büyükburç's compositions on this piano. The Swanborough was the first piano used in the education of Dr. Lecturer Evren Büyükburç Erol at MSGÜ State Conservatory, who donated it in memory of her parents.

Gold medal wall piano

A wall piano produced in Paris, the capital of France, in the early 1900s, bearing the Gaveau brand. The Gaveau company was founded in 1847 by Joseph Gabriel Gaveau and received a gold medal at the World Fair held in Paris in 1889.

Symphony-type music box: Kalliope

The Kalliope music box was produced in Leipzig, Germany, in the early 1900s. Classified as a symphony-type music box, Kalliope was the product of a development in which sounds came out more clearly among music boxes. The object is displayed with its original music discs, and the accompanying music is the Kalliope's original music.

Laterna, known as the 'wheel violin'

One of the musical instruments that can be seen at the museum is the laterna. The laterna, now very rare and also known as the 'wheel violin,' was invented in the 17th century. It has many strings to produce different sounds as it is played by turning a handle. With a box-like structure, the laterna is not widespread in countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Czechia and Romania, but is still in use.

Pianola, played both manually and automatically

The pianola, which appeared in the 1900s, initially had a mechanism mounted on the outside of console or grand pianos that controlled the keyboard, but later the mechanism was placed inside the piano, and it began to be used with two functions. This way, the piano can be played both manually and automatically through a pneumatic mechanism. Perforated music rolls provide the possibility of making music over a fairly wide range.