Bülent Arel facts for kids

Bülent Arel (born April 23, 1919 – died November 24, 1990) was a talented composer from Turkey. He was known for creating contemporary classical music and pioneering electronic music.

Arel was born in Istanbul. He studied how to compose music at the Ankara Conservatory. He also learned about sound engineering in Paris, France.

After his studies, Arel taught music at the Ankara Conservatory. He helped start the Helikon Society of Contemporary Arts. From 1951 to 1959, he was the first music director for Radio Ankara. Besides music, he was also a painter and sculptor. Some of his art is displayed in the Turkish National Gallery.

A Pioneer in Electronic Music

In 1959, the Rockefeller Foundation invited Arel to work in the United States. He joined the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center. There, he created two of his most famous works: "Stereo Electronic Music No.1" and "Stereo Electronic Music No.2".

In 1962, Arel worked with another famous composer, Edgard Varèse. They collaborated on the electronic parts of Varèse's piece called Déserts.

Inventions and Techniques

Bülent Arel was very creative. He invented a special tool called a 'splicing tape dispenser'. This tool helped with handling magnetic tapes used in electronic music. He also created other devices for working with tape. Arel was a pioneer in using "looping techniques." This means repeating sounds or musical phrases to create new effects.

Teaching and Legacy

Arel also designed and set up the electronic music lab at Yale University. He taught there from 1961 to 1970. Later, he started the electronic music program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He taught at Stony Brook from 1971 until he retired in 1989.

Besides his electronic music, Mr. Arel wrote other types of music. He composed chamber music (for small groups of instruments), vocal works, and symphonic pieces (for orchestras). He even created music for the Mimi Garrard Dance Theater.

Notable Students

Many students learned from Bülent Arel. Some of his notable students include Daria Semegen, Conrad Cummings, Jing Jing Luo, Joël-François Durand, John Tabacco, and Frederick Bianchi.

Later Life

In his later years, Arel lived in East Setauket, New York. He passed away in Stony Brook in 1990.