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Peter Theremin, the great-grandson of the inventor of the theremin, performed in Bursa, Türkiye, before donating his touchless electronic instrument to a local music museum.
Peter Theremin, the great-grandson of Russian physicist Leon Theremin, who invented one of the earliest electronic musical instruments, has donated his theremin to a museum in Bursa, northwestern Türkiye, following a concert that demonstrated how music can be produced without physically touching an instrument.
The performance opened the 2026-2027 concert season at the Nilufer Municipality Dr. Huseyin Parkan Sanlikol Musical Instruments Museum (MEM), where the musician brought his great-grandfather's invention to life through carefully controlled hand movements.
Developed in 1919, the theremin produces sound without keys, strings or physical contact, making it one of the most unusual instruments in electronic music history.
Unlike conventional musical instruments, the theremin allows performers to control sound by moving their hands near two antennas, adjusting pitch and volume through changes in hand position.
Although playing it may appear as simple as waving one's hands through the air, mastering the instrument requires exceptional precision and extensive practice.
One published interview about the theremin suggested that fewer than 15 musicians worldwide could play it professionally. However, no definitive or up-to-date global count exists, and the instrument remains relatively uncommon because of the difficulty involved in controlling its sound.
Peter Theremin explained that the instrument occupies a distinctive place in electronic music history, describing it as the starting point of electronic music and emphasizing its expressive, voice-like sound despite requiring no physical contact.
As the great-grandson of Leon Theremin, Peter Theremin has continued to carry forward the family's musical legacy through performances and educational activities.
Speaking before the concert, he described preserving and representing his great-grandfather's invention internationally as both a personal responsibility and a family mission.
He also highlighted the significance of 2026, which marks the 130th anniversary of Leon Theremin's birth, expressing hope that the instrument's new home in Bursa would encourage museum visitors to experience and understand music from a different perspective.
During the concert, Theremin performed pieces associated with his great-grandfather alongside a selection of Russian, French and Turkish music.
Following the performance, he donated the instrument he had played to the Nilufer Municipality Dr. Huseyin Parkan Sanlikol Musical Instruments Museum.
Fethiye Sanlikol, one of the founders of MEM Sahne, the museum's performance venue, and Erkan Gunhan, Nilufer Municipality's director of libraries and museums, presented commemorative plaques to Peter Theremin and Aliona Palazhchenko, founder of the TEREM Cultural Platform.
The donation adds a touchless instrument to the museum’s collection, linking the history of early electronic music to Bursa’s cultural life.
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