MUAMMER SUN (Ankara, 1932)

Muammer Sun was initiated to the world of music while he was a student in the Military Band School in 1946. In 1953 he enrolled at the Composition Department of the Ankara State Conservatory and became a student of Adnan Saygun. He also studied Turkish folk music with Sarisözen, traditional music with Kam, piano with Fenmen, and conducting with Alnar. He took private lessons from Kemal Ilerici on the Turkish modal system. Muammer Sun graduated from the Composition Department of Ankara State Conservatory in 1960 and became a member of the teaching staff in the same institution.

Between 1967 and 1970, Muammer Sun was a member of the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Education's Cultural Affairs Department. In the same years, he worked as a researcher collecting folk songs for TRT. From 1970 to 1975, he once again taught at the Ankara State Conservatory. During the years of 1969-1972, he represented the musicians and stage artists on the administrative board of TRT. In addition, he founded a polyphonic children's chorus for Radio Ankara. He also was a pioneer in establishing an award system for cultural, artistic and scientific affairs. Muammer Sun established 166 children's choruses and arranged courses to educate teachers for them. He presided over the Ankara State Conservatory in 1974.

Muammer Sun became a composition teacher at Izmir State Conservatory in 1975. Five years later, he transferred to the Istanbul State Conservatory. In 1982 he retired from this institution. Since 1987 he has been teaching in Ankara State Conservatory, and for the time being he is the professor and head of the Composition Department.

Muammer Sun has received a number of awards. In 1966 he won the Symphonic Music contest of TRT; in 1985 he took the first prize in the Turkish Grand National Assembly Contest; in 1985, he won the third prize and mention in the ENKA youth song contest; and in 1985, he took the first and third prizes in the Youth Song Contest sponsored by the Sevda-Cenap And Music Foundation. In 1988 he won the third prize in the ENKA contest.

Muammer Sun's compositions have their sources in Turkish traditional and folk music. He derived his composition technique from Kemal Ilerici's harmonic system, using intervals built of fourths.

Muammer Sun believes that international recognition can be reached through national styles. He

also believes in the importance of early music training. For this purpose he wrote many books about musical instruction, established children's choruses, and composed music for the utility in schools.

He holds the copyright to his works.

Evin Ilyasoglu

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