İsmail Hakkı Bey

Ismail Hakki Bey (1865 - 1927) was an Ottoman Composer. He founded the "Mûsikî-i Osmanî" ensemble, and later on, a school by the same name. A very productive composer, Ismail Hakki Bey composed around a thousand works, spanning all the forms of Turkish music. These include nearly thirty marches, operettas and religious works. Departing from the accustomed styles, he accompanied his operettas with an "incesaz" (Turkish urban instruments) ensemble instead of a western orchestra. In addition to all this, he was drawn to the study of Turkish musical theory, and wrote a book on the subject.