This work aims to assist today’s students of music to navigate their way as they strive to immerse themselves in a practical manner in the enchanting and multifaceted tradition of Ottoman Urban Music. Until the 1980s, interest in this music was confined to very specific circles in Turkey’s urban centers and a small number of international academics. However, at some point, this musical tradition began to exert its charm beyond Turkey, captivating musicians and listeners alike. Among them were those who aspired not just to appreciate it but to actually play it themselves. As a result, many students found themselves far from places where this music was traditionally performed, often without peers or fellow learners with whom they could study and grow. The application we have developed seeks to support students in their daily practice. Naturally, nothing can replace the traditional method of Meşk (described in detail by Eleni Kallimopoulou in the following text), but such a tool can offer the aspiring musician the experience of playing as if they were among fellow performers, finding their place within a characteristic instrumental ensemble of this tradition. The instruments featured in our recordings include ney, kanun, oud, the lyra of Istanbul (kemençe), and the percussion instruments bendir and darabuka—among the most emblematic instruments of the ince saz orchestra as we encounter it today. In the future, we intend to expand this collection to include equally significant instruments such as the tambur, the rebab, and the kudüm.

 The decision to focus on the works of Rum composers stems from the fact that their music is, to some extent, already familiar in Greece. We wished to begin with compositions that would resonate with Greek musicians. However, it is important to emphasize that Ottoman Urban Music is inherently eclectic, shaped by influences and exchanges coming from many directions, forming a melting pot of elements which draws from all of the communities that constituted Ottoman urban society at different points in history. Moreover, within the musical sphere—perhaps more than in other cultural domains—there was a greater degree of equality between the various minorities and the dominant Muslim population. This gave rise to a multifaceted and complex musical identity that includes composers and musicians of Turkish, Rum, Armenian, Jewish, Arab, Persian, Indian, and other backgrounds. Notable figures such as Dimitrie Kantemir, Prince of Moldavia, who left invaluable notations and theoretical writings on Ottoman music, and the Polish-born Wojciech Bobowski (Ali Ufkî Bey), who as early as the 17th century transcribed Ottoman musical works using European notation, further attest to this tradition’s richness and breadth.

We hope that students will find this application useful, and we look forward to receiving their feedback in order to continue refining and expanding it.

I personally extend my gratitude to all those who contributed to this endeavor—the exceptional musicians, the dedicated technicians of various specialties who worked with passion and devotion, and, of course, the tireless and resourceful Natalia Kotsani, without whom none of this would have been possible.