By Janet Ekstract NEW YORK – On May 31, the New York Atatürk Chorus delighted an audience of Turkish-Americans and others with their traditional and unique Turkish musical renditions. For those who wonder why the name includes ‘Atatürk’ – it’s because Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the founding father of modern Türkiye and he appreciated a mix of both Turkish and Western music, encouraging the advent of Western music . The New York Ataturk Chorus is sponsored by TIME aka the Turkish and International Music Ensemble, whose purpose is to promote global music traditions by collaborating with diverse artists to expand cultural inclusivity and create educational programs that make music accessible to everyone. TIME’s music philosophy dovetails perfectly with Atatürk’s since it was Atatürk who transformed Türkiye by broadening educational opportunities for females, introduced a modern alphabet structure for Turkish and promoted embracing a wide range of cultures and cultural activities also related to music. As TIME President Ozlem Rozantis told Anadolu Agency in 2024: “Our goal with these music concerts is to increase access to bring our music to much wider audiences by organizing our concerts in public venues.” Rozantis added that music makes people smile whether it’s amateur or professional musicians and that the group’s goal is “for our music and our culture to be well represented and have a place in the American cultural milieu.”
Creating that positive impact is TIME Music Director and Vice President Fuat Caner Tokgozol who is a very talented Turkish musician, composer and producer based in New York City and one who takes great pride in the New York Atatürk Chorus and TIME projects. Tokgozol’s music marries traditional Turkish music with sounds and influences from a plethora of musical genres and backgrounds such as folk music from the Balkans and Eastern Anatolia. What is particularly unique is the way Tokgozol explores the use of music to bridge cultural boundaries and unite communities because the Chorus sang a variety of popular and nostalgic old folk tunes. The highlight of the concert though was Tokgozol on the piano accompanied by soloist ….
Tokgozol said the group’s music repertoire includes folk music from the Balkans and the eastern Anatolian region of Turkiye with a very rich and broad range of rhythm and melodic modes. In addition, the group’s Western music genre ranges from waltz, rock, fusion, ballad and bolero using ancient, traditional Turkish instruments like the oud and kanoon. The group’s repertoire uses harmony and orchestral arrangements infused with Western sounds by adding international musical instruments such as guitar, piano, buzuki, accordion and woodwind. The New York Atatürk Chorus has shared the stage with renown performers and artists that include Ara Dinkjian, Tamer Pinarbasi, Ismail Lumanovski, Yildiz Kenter, Talat Halman and Incesaz among others. The chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Drom and the World Trade Center in New York City. The Chorus has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Drom, and the World Trade Center in New York City. The Chorus was founded in 2008 by Nedim Katgi, a graduate of Istanbul Technical University State Conservatory in 1980. Katgi formed his own band Otobus Yolculari (Bus Passengers) and worked with a wide array of artists, earning numerous professional music awards as well as performing with popular singers in Turkiye. It was his passion for Turkish classical music that inspired him to found New York Ataturk Chorus with the philosophy to give those who adore singing an opportunity to learn and perform exceptional Turkish music. Katgi’s final performance with the Chorus was on November 2, 2019 at New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, he passed away on January 26, 2021 leaving a brilliant and bright legacy to continue.
