HISTORY

Bilkent Saygun Center (BSC), with its complete title "Ahmed Adnan Saygun Center for Music Research and Education", was established in 1994 by Prof. Ersin Onay, the founder and first Dean of the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts (FMPA), thanks to the initiatives of Prof. İhsan Doğramacı (1915-2010), founder of Bilkent University, and Nilüfer Saygun (1998), widow of the composer. For that purpose, a large-scope donation comprising archival material; handwritten, published, audio and visual sources; and museum materials has been made by the Saygun family. The first location of the Research Center was a large indoor area located in the main campus of Bilkent University where currently the Elementary School of Music and Ballet resides. The Bilkent Saygun Center has cared for donated materials, supplied sources to many national as well as international researchers, organized scientific and pedagogical events and concert activities in and outside Turkey, and published or took part in recordings of works by Saygun.