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РусскийEdgar Manas of Armenian descent composed Turkey’s national anthem
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This year marks the 94th year of the selection of Turkey’s national anthem (“İstiklal Marşı”). The lyrics of the anthem are by Mehmet Akf Erso, and the music is by Jackie Bey, who was the director of the orchestra of the Turkish president of the time. However, very few know that the “İstiklal Marşı” was musically arranged by Armenian composer and music teacher Edgar Manas, as Ermenihaber reports.
Edgar Manas was born in 1875 in Istanbul and received his musical education at the Padua Conservatory of Italy. After returning to Istanbul in 1905, he taught at the Istanbul State Conservatory and was the director of the Conservatory’s orchestra and women’s choir. In 1937, he was appointed choirmaster for the choir of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople and served as choirmaster for 20 years. He also taught solfeggio at Armenian schools.
Edgar Manas died in 1964 and was buried at the Catholic Armenian cemetery in the Pangalt District of Istanbul. Besides providing the musical arrangement of the “Istiklal Marsh”, Manas also composed several operettes, overtures, fugas, as well as songs in Armenian and Turkish.
