Rüştü Şardağ

Rüştü Şardağ was born in 1915 in Aleppo, where his father served as a regimental clerk. He was the son of Mehmet Atıf Bey, originally from Elbistan, and Melek Hanım, a member of the Kadiri order. In 1936, he graduated from Balıkesir Teacher’s School, and in 1938, from the Literature Department of Gazi Institute of Education in Ankara. After teaching at various schools, he worked as a consultant for the Turkish Encyclopedia published by the Ministry of National Education. In 1950, he was appointed Secretary General of the İzmir Municipality. That same year, he also served as director of İzmir Radio, which had just begun broadcasting. In 1960, he completed his master’s degree at the Middle East Public Administration Institute. Until 1967, alongside his municipal duties, he lectured at Ege University and the Manisa Youth and Sports Academy. He retired in 1967 while serving as Deputy Mayor of İzmir.

Between 1983 and 1987, he served as a Member of Parliament for İzmir. In 1988, he briefly taught Turkish Music Literature at Ege University State Conservatory of Turkish Music. Throughout these years, he wrote numerous articles on politics and literature for various newspapers and magazines. He translated works from Persian. Many of his poems were set to music by different composers. He also prepared papers for various scientific and cultural meetings and music congresses.
Encouraged by his father, he began studying music at an early age. After receiving his first lessons from his father, he benefited from esteemed teachers, including Lemi Atlı. Coming from a family affiliated with a Sufi order, he was closely engaged with religious music. He attended the Üsküdar Music Society and later took on responsibilities within the organization. His first composition was a song in the Rast mode, beginning with the line “Bahçemde safa hükmediyorken solayım.”