Ali Rıfat Çağatay

Ali Rıfat Çağatay was a Turkish composer, oud virtuoso, cellist, and educator whose work bridged classical Turkish music with Western musical influences. He taught at Darülelhan, helped institutionalize Turkish music through leadership of Türk Musikisi Ocağı and Şark Musiki Cemiyeti, and wrote extensively about music. His composition for the İstiklâl Marşı was used from 1924 to 1930, before being replaced by Osman Zeki Üngör’s setting.