Ankara: Trkiye's oldest polyphonic music institution, The Harmony Band Command, founded in 1826 under the name Muzika-i Humayun, is celebrating its 200th anniversary. Following the proclamation of the republic, the Harmony Band Command was relocated from Istanbul to Ankara, the new capital, in 1924 in line with the directives of Trkiye's founder Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It assumed its current structure by incorporating the Morale Team, composed of enlisted musicians performing their compulsory military service, in 1975, and the Turkish Harmony Stars (T‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œRKAY) Orchestra in 2006.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Harmony Band Command showcases the cultural face of Trkiye and the Turkish Armed Forces at high-level state ceremonies, as well as at different festivals and musical events it participates in, both at home and abroad. The Harmony Band Command was founded in Istanbul in 1826 by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, and Italian bandmaster Giuseppe Donizetti, who would serve for 28 years, was appointed as its head, the band's commander Col. Levent Turkel, told Anadolu.
Following Donizetti's death, Callisto Guatelli and later the Spaniard Fernando d'Aranda served as commanders and conductors of the institution. After the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era, Saffet Atabinen, the first Turkish orchestra conductor, assumed the post in 1908. Subsequently, many distinguished musicians such as Zati Arca and Osman Zeki Ungor, the composer of the national anthem, served as commanders and conductors.
Under the Harmony Band Command, there are three separate musical groups: the Ceremonial and Concert, the Turkish Harmony Stars, and the Morale Team. Each member of the Ceremony and Concert ensemble practices their specialized instrument individually first, then with their group, before going on duty. The orchestra consists of elite personnel from the army, navy, and air force commands and is a special group, said Band Maj. Fatih Erdogdu, the Ceremonial and Concert ensemble commander. It includes 62 members and performs distinguished works from the world band repertoire.
The Morale Team is carefully selected from among the soldiers serving in the force commands. Soldiers with musical talent are included in this team and receive cultural training in addition to their national service. This unit consists solely of conscripted soldiers and takes part in concerts aimed at raising the morale of troops serving in demanding conditions. The Morale Team can perform various genres of music, including Turkish folk music, Turkish classical, and Western classical, said Morale Team Commander Band Maj. Ahmet Kerim Acar.
The Turkish Harmony Stars orchestra, known as T‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œRKAY, was established on Mar. 3, 2006, as part of the Turkish Armed Forces' efforts to integrate the army and the nation. Since its founding, T‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œRKAY has taken part in numerous public concerts, festivals, and events both in Trkiye and abroad. The repertoire consists of specially arranged pop, jazz, folk, and contemporary pieces, and after being affiliated with the National Defense Ministry in 2019, T‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œRKAY has proudly represented the country and ministry in all activities, said T‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬€š¬…¡¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬€š¬¦¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦ ¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦€š¬…¡¬‚¬¦€š¬…€œRKAY Commander Lt. Col. Kerimcan Nayman.