Prominent Turkish classical music performer and composer professor Alaeddin Yavaşca died Thursday at the age of 95.
Yavaşça, recipient of the honorary "State Artist" title in 1991, was among the last surviving leading grand figures of the traditional genre, composing a whopping 652 pieces throughout his career.
Born on March 1, 1926, in the southern province of Kilis, Yavaşca studied medicine and graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine in 1951. In his nearly 40 year career as a gynecologist, Yavaşca served in various hospitals in Istanbul, working as the chief physician at the Haseki Hospital before retiring in 1990. He was reported to have composed 82 pieces in hospitals where he served.
On the Turkish classical music scene, Yavaşca was trained by renowned masters from an early age, including the likes of Sadettin Kaynak and Münir Nurettin Selçuk. He was accepted to Istanbul Radio as a soloist in 1950, and continued to serve in Turkish classical music departments of the public broadcaster TRT later in his career.
Yavaşca was among the founding faculty members of the first Turkish Music State Conservatory (now a part of the Istanbul Technical University - ITÜ) in 1976, earning the title of professor in 1990.
An active performer up until his later years, Yavaşca was hospitalized due to a hip fracture in 2018 and remained in hospital ever since.
The historic house in Kilis where Yavaşca was born is being converted into a museum, whereas Istanbul's City Lines renamed one of its ferries after Yavaşca back in 2018.
