This project involves digitizing audio cassette recordings gathered by retired NYU Abu Dhabi Professor Walter Feldman during research for his book, Music of the Ottoman Court (1996, repr. 2024). Dr. Feldman is the leading authority on Turkish classical music, and his book is the standard work on the subject. Dr. Feldman’s recordings include never-before-heard audio materials—lessons, private concerts, and public performances— featuring prominent Turkish classical musicians Necdet Yasar, Niyazi Sayin, Ihsan Özgen, and others. Digitizing this collection is crucial for preservation of this music and to make it accessible to a wider audience. This project emphasizes the intercultural connections between Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Romanians, Hungarians, Arabs, and Sephardic Jews within the Ottoman Empire. The project will transfer these recordings to a digital format and exhibit them on a publicly accessible website, accompanied by detailed cataloging and metadata creation to facilitate research and exploration. By making these recordings available, this initiative not only preserves a crucial part of musical history but also celebrates the complex tapestry of relationships that characterizes the music of the Ottoman court and its enduring legacy in shaping the cultural identities of the region.
Digitizing Cultural Heritage
The Walter Feldman Collection of Turkish Classical Music