Dilhayât Kalfa (1710? - 1780) was a musician, singer, and composer at the Ottoman court. She is regarded as the most significant female composer in the history of Ottoman music.[1]
Dilhayât Kalfa | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1780  |
| Occupation | Composer, singer |
Her title kalfa indicates that she was an enslaved woman with a relatively high status at the court. In particular, she was the housekeeper of Sultan Ahmed III's harem. A singer and tanbûr player, she composed over a hundred pieces for voice and instrument, 12 of which survive today. Tradition holds that she was the teacher of Selim III.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Feldman, Walter; Dimitrie Cantemir; Ali Ufkî (2024). Music of the Ottoman court: makam, composition and the early Ottoman instrumental repertoire. Handbook of Oriental studies = Handbuch der Orientalistik. Section one: The Near and Middle East. Leiden ; Boston: Brill. pp. 63–64. ISBN 978-90-04-53125-3.