Presidential Symphony Orchestra (Turkish: Cumhurbaşkanlığı Senfoni Orkestrası) is the presidential symphony orchestra of the Republic of Turkey. It is headquartered in Ankara. It is one of the first symphony orchestra's in the world.
After The Auspicious Incident and closing of the Janissary in 1826 by His Imperial Majesty Sultan Mahmud II the Mehter Band was transformed to a western band. Later, on September 17, 1828, Giuseppe Donizetti assumed the role of principal conductor. Until His Imperial Majesty Sultan Vahdeddin the band was called Mizika-i Humayun (Mızıka-ı Humayun, the Imperial Band). With Vahdeddin's reign it was then to be called Makam-i Hilafet Muzikasi (The Caliphs Band).
After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the State orchestra moved to the new capital Ankara on April 27, 1924 upon the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Founding President of the Republic of Turkey. Upon moving to Ankara, the Musiki Muallim Mektebi (Music Teachers School)was also formed (in 1924) with the efforts of Zeki Üngör. This school later became the basis of the Ankara State Conservatory.
On June 25, 1932 the orchestra received the title of the Presidents office and was called the "Riyaseti Cumhur Orkestrasi" (Republican Orkestra). With this new formation the band and the orchestra clearly separated. Hasan Ferit Alnar became the new conductor of the orchestra up until 1957. In 1957 a new law passed and the name of the orchestra was changed to the "Cumhurbaskanligi Senfoni Orkestrasi" ("Presidential Symphony Orchestra").
Today, the Orchestra is internationally acclaimed and has performed Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Rumania, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union, Italy, France, Switzerland, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain, Poland, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, South Korea, Japan, USA and England .
Read more about Presidential Symphony Orchestra: Principal Conductors of Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Current Guest Conductors of Presidential Symphony Orchestra
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“Because of these convictions, I made a personal decision in the 1964 Presidential campaign to make education a fundamental issue and to put it high on the nation’s agenda. I proposed to act on my belief that regardless of a family’s financial condition, education should be available to every child in the United States—as much education as he could absorb.”
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