Edgar Manas

Edgar Manas was a Turkish composer, conductor and musicologist of Armenian descent. He is one of the three co-authors of the Turkish National Anthem, as he made the arrangements for orchestra. He was born on April 12, 1875, in Istanbul, to a prominent Armenian family. His father, Alexandre Manas, was the chief translator for the Ottoman Public Debt Administration. His ancestor, Raphael Manas, was an official painter of the Ottoman Empire. Edgar Manas showed artistic talent from a young age and was sent to Italy at the age of 13 to study commerce and music. He later settled in Padua and worked with composer Luigi Bottazzo, focusing on harmony, counterpoint and fugue. He returned to Istanbul and pursued his music studies further, producing a series of piano compositions in the idiom of Chopin. He also conducted choral groups and orchestras, earning recognition from the French government. In 1912, he met Komitas, the founder of modern Armenian music, but they did not have a close relationship, as they had different aesthetic views. Manas composed various works, such as a Suite for piano and a String Quartet, which were published by European publishing houses and performed in Istanbul and other music capitals. He also wrote songs, symphonies, operas, and chamber music. He was influenced by the classical and contemporary French masters, as well as by the Turkish and Armenian folk music. He was a pioneer of polytonality and atonality in Turkish music. He also taught music at various institutions, such as the Istanbul Conservatory and the Galatasaray High School. He had many students, including Turkish and Armenian composers. He died on March 9, 1964, in Istanbul, and was buried in the Pangaltı Catholic Cemetery of Şişli. He is regarded as one of the most important figures of Turkish and Armenian music in the 20th century.