The Anatolia Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (AFO) presents a unique musical feast by composing and arranging mehter pieces in a style befitting 21st-century music forms.
Established to showcase Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage on the global stage, the AFO unveiled its special project “Anatolian Rhapsody” at a press meeting. By composing and arranging fourth-generation mehter works in a contemporary music style, the orchestra collaborates with globally renowned musicians, highlighting a musical transformation and emphasizing human sensitivity through the universal language of music.
During the presentation of “Anatolian Rhapsody,” the orchestra introduced modern interpretations of traditional mehter melodies. Inspired by Hollywood’s musical world, the project blends classical and contemporary styles, featuring new compositions like “Heyhat Insan” and “Vaveyla-Çocuk.” Additionally, traditional pieces such as “Ceddin Deden” and “Plevne Marşı” were reinterpreted and shared with the audience.
Producer Hamza Ören stated, “The Anatolia Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra proudly presents ‘Anatolian Rhapsody,’ offering new-generation Mehter works that showcase traditional Turkish culture in the context of the modern world.”
In the event organized with the consultancy of Orion Yapım, Ayhan Özel, the founder of the AFO, shared insights into the history of mehter music. “In the Ottoman Empire, the mehter was a military band associated with the Janissary Corps. The primary goal was to boost the morale and motivation of soldiers and reinforce national and spiritual sentiments among listeners. Mehter military music has evolved through various forms throughout history. In our ‘Anatolian Rhapsody’ project, we composed and arranged fourth-generation mehter works in a style appropriate for the 21st century. We also collaborated with internationally renowned musicians, making our work musically significant on a global scale,” he said.
Ayhan Özel further explained, “Our ‘Anatolian Rhapsody’ project, which started in 2019 and took nearly five years, aims to present the diverse cultural elements of Anatolia in a polyphonic form using the universal language of music. By integrating Western music’s polyphonic style with compositions from the Turkish world, we aimed to create a bridge between local and universal music. We worked with musicians from various parts of the world, many of whom have participated in Hollywood film music projects. The studio recordings for the project were made at Bulgarian Recording Studio, featuring internationally acclaimed musicians such as Nikola Petrov, Vladislav Boyadzhiev, Ronan Scolard and Jeremy Leidhecker.”
By emphasizing themes of “humanity” and “peace” in the new generation of Mehter works, the AFO aims to deliver Türkiye’s message of international peace through the most impactful medium: music.
