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The Armoni Band Command, Türkiye’s oldest polyphonic music institution, is marking its 200th anniversary, officials said.
The ensemble continues to perform at state ceremonies and represent Türkiye through concerts and musical events at home and abroad.
Founded in 1826 in Istanbul under the name Muzika-i Humayun, the institution continues as a key musical symbol of state tradition and national representation.
Operating under the General Directorate of Management Services of the Ministry of National Defense, the Armoni Band Command performs at high-level ceremonies.
It also represents Türkiye through concerts, festivals and musical events at home and abroad.
Armoni Band Commander Col. Levent Turkel said the institution was founded by Sultan Mahmud II in 1826, with Italian bandmaster Giuseppe Donizetti appointed as its first leader.
Donizetti served for 28 years, after which Callisto Guatelli and Spaniard Fernando d’Aranda successively took on command and conducting duties.
Turkel noted that after the Second Constitutional Era was declared in 1908, the first Turkish orchestra conductor, Saffet Atabinen, assumed leadership.
Many prominent musicians also served in the institution, including Osman Zeki Ungor, the composer of Türkiye’s national anthem.
Following the proclamation of the Republic, the institution was relocated to Ankara in 1924 under the directives of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Turkel said the Armoni Band Command has continued its activities without interruption since then and now operates under the Ministry of National Defense.
Its structure today includes the Ceremony and Concert Team, the Turkish Armoni Stars Orchestra (TURKAY), the Moral Team, stage support units and service staff.
The command includes three separate musical ensembles: the Ceremony and Concert Team, TURKAY, and the Moral Team.
Ceremony and Concert Team Commander Maj. Fatih Erdogdu said the orchestra is made up of distinguished personnel from the Land, Naval and Air Forces commands.
The team performs at ceremonies, concerts and musical events in Türkiye and abroad, representing the country and the ministry.
The orchestra has 62 members and features a wide range of brass, percussion and woodwind instruments, including trumpet, trombone, horn, euphonium, tuba, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.
Final rehearsals are held in a special area known as the "meshhane" before performances.
One of the ensembles under the command is the Moral Team, composed of carefully selected conscripted soldiers with musical talents.
The group performs concerts to boost morale, visiting border outposts, naval units preparing for missions, and air bases hosting combat pilots returning from operations.
Moral Team Commander Maj. Ahmet Kerim Acar said the ensemble supports personnel and their families, especially those serving under difficult conditions, and performs genres ranging from Turkish folk and classical music to Western classical works.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Armoni Stars Orchestra, known as TURKAY, was established on March 3, 2006, as part of efforts to strengthen unity between the army and the nation.
Lt. Col. Kerimcan Nayman said TURKAY’s repertoire includes specially arranged pop, jazz, folk songs and contemporary works.
Placed under the Ministry of National Defense in 2019, TURKAY continues to represent Türkiye and the Ministry in activities both at home and abroad, reflecting the armed forces’ modern cultural diplomacy through music.
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