Melodies Of The Princes’ Islands: A Rich Musical Heritage Shaped By Island Songs – OpEd
The Princes' Islands—especially Büyükada, Heybeliada, and Burgazada—stand as one of Istanbul's most serene and timeless corners, inspiring artists for centuries. Life intertwined with the sea, ferry horns, the rhythmic echo of horse-drawn carriages, mimosa-filled gardens, and moonlit summer nights have formed the backdrop to many works etched into the memory of Turkish music. Beyond their natural beauty, the islands occupy a singular place in Istanbul through a cultural fabric deeply interwoven with music.
Within the repertoire of Turkish classical music, compositions that directly reference the Islands hold a special place. Perhaps the most renowned is Tatyos Efendi's immortal Ada Sahillerinde Bekliyorum ("I Am Waiting on the Island Shores"). Portraying a melancholic vigil along the shores of the Princes' Islands, the piece has lived on across generations through masterful interpretations by Zeki Müren and Münir Nurettin Selçuk. Yeşari Asım Arsoy's Biz Heybeli'de Her Gece Mehtaba Çıkardık captures the romantic nights of Heybeliada in the refined language of classical music, while Muzaffer İlkar's Gurup Bir Alev Gibi Denizde Sönerken Adalar'da transforms the sorrowful splendor of sunset into melody.
The repertoire also includes songs such as Büyükada'da Bir Akşam and Kınalı Ada'dan Geliyorum, which explicitly name the islands and reflect Istanbul's traditional summer culture. Together, these works suggest that from the late Ottoman era into the Republic, the Islands were perceived not merely as seasonal retreats, but as emotional, aesthetic, and cultural havens.
Yet the musical heritage of the Princes' Islands extends well beyond songs and vocal works. From the late nineteenth century through the twentieth, the Islands emerged as significant centers for classical music, chamber music, and contemporary composition. The intellectual and artistic life cultivated on Büyükada and Heybeliada offered composers and performers alike a space for both retreat and concentration. Salon concerts and intimate recitals held in historic mansions represented some of the most refined reflections of European musical culture in Istanbul.
In this context, İlhan Baran occupies a place of particular significance. One of the most distinctive composers of Turkish contemporary music in the Republican era, Baran spent a substantial part of his life on Büyükada. The island's quietude, natural surroundings, and daily rhythm were among the core elements nourishing his musical language. The inner intensity, measured lyricism, and sense of time felt in his works reflect a deep aesthetic bond with island life. Baran's creative environment underscores that the Princes' Islands are not merely inspiring landscapes, but cultural spaces with intellectual depth.
From the perspective of classical performers, chamber ensembles, and young pianists whose paths crossed with the Islands, Büyükada's historic buildings, Heybeliada's tranquil streets, and Burgazada's understated character function almost as natural stages for piano recitals, string quartets, and contemporary music performances. A broad repertoire—from Debussy and Ravel's sea-infused imagery to Tchaikovsky's lyricism, and onward to the symphonic and chamber works of Republican-era Turkish composers—resonates harmoniously with the island atmosphere.
At the local level, summer concerts held in Büyükada's historic venues with the support of public institutions and civil organizations, Turkish classical music evenings at the Çelik Gülersoy Cultural Center, and open-air performances offer opportunities to experience music within the island setting. Expanding these initiatives with piano recitals, chamber concerts, and small-scale orchestral programs could further strengthen the Islands' cultural visibility.
This rich accumulation deserves a more visible and regular platform. International examples illustrate the potential clearly: Italy's Sanremo Music Festival demonstrates how a city's identity can be forged through song, while France's La Roque-d'Anthéron Piano Festival and Greece's Syros Music Festival show how islands and small settlements can become international centers of classical music.
Within this framework, the idea of a Büyükada-centered Islands Music Festival extending across the archipelago appears both realistic and culturally compelling. Alongside Turkish classical music masterpieces, the festival could include pop and folk interpretations; competitions for new island-themed compositions; dedicated sections for young pianists and chamber ensembles; performances aboard ferries; joint Turkish and Greek performances; and open-air orchestral concerts. Programs devoted to Republican-era Turkish composers—foremost among them İlhan Baran—could lend the festival a lasting and distinguished identity.
The Islands are not merely places to be seen, but to be heard, felt, and created within. Songs, symphonies, and piano melodies seem destined to continue echoing not only across the waters of the Marmara Sea, but also within Istanbul's cultural memory.