Okan Demiriş facts for kids

Okan Demiriş was a talented Turkish composer. He was born in Istanbul on February 9, 1942, and passed away on June 18, 2010. He was married to Leyla Demiriş, who was a soprano (a type of singer with a high voice).

Who Was Okan Demiriş?

Okan Demiriş was a person who wrote music, which is what a composer does. He created many different pieces, but he was especially known for his operas. An opera is like a play where all the words are sung instead of spoken. It combines music, singing, acting, costumes, and scenery to tell a story.

What is an Opera?

Imagine a musical play, but even grander! In an opera, the characters express their feelings and tell the story through singing. A special book called a libretto contains all the words for the opera. The person who writes this book is called a librettist.

Okan Demiriş's Main Operas

Okan Demiriş wrote several important operas. Each one tells a unique story through music and song.

IV. Murat

One of his well-known operas is IV. Murat (pronounced Dördüncü Murat). This opera has three acts, which are like chapters in a book or parts of a play. The story for IV. Murat was written by Turan Oflazoğlu. It is based on the real-life story of Murad IV, who was an Ottoman Sultan. Sultans were powerful rulers in the Ottoman Empire, similar to kings or emperors.

Karyağdı Hatun

Another opera by Okan Demiriş is Karyağdı Hatun. He created this work between 1977 and 1979. Like IV. Murat, this opera also has three acts. The libretto, or story, for Karyağdı Hatun was written by Nezihe Araz.

Yusuf ile Züleyha

Okan Demiriş also composed the opera Yusuf ile Züleyha. He worked on this piece from 1982 to 1983. The story for this opera was also written by Nezihe Araz, who worked with Demiriş on Karyağdı Hatun.