Cimcoz practising in 1929

Cimcoz in 1937

Cimcoz, first cornet player (with the glasses) in 1943

The Turkish trumpet player and teacher Mehmet Cemal Cimcoz died on June 26th 2005, aged 94.

Cemal Cimcoz was born in Gönen, Turkey in 1912. He started playing the trumpet in the band of a private school at Gönen for children of Gallipoli war victims.

In 1926, when he finished school, he joined the military high school, Bursa Işıklar Askeri Lisesi, where he had the opportunity of studying with the best trumpet teacher in Turkey of that period. This allowed him to become a very competent trumpet player who was able to play the complete repertoire for his instrument.

After a council recommendation from Ankara in 1933, he joined the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Armoni Mızıkası (Presidential Wind and Brass Orchestra ) where he played as a trumpet soloist for twenty years and gave lectures in the school of music. He also worked in the light symphonic and jazz orchestras of Ankara State Radio.

In 1956 he joined the Ankara Devlet Opera Orkestrası (Ankara State Opera Orchestra) where he worked for sixteen years before retiring.

Cemal Cimcoz was one of Turkey’s greatest trumpet players. His works set guidelines to all trumpet players and are a source of help to both the teachers and the students of this instrument.

Erden Bilgen adds: "I began playing the trumpet with Mr Cimcoz in Gönen in 1964. He was always an extraordinary trumpet player. With his great discipline in practicing, incredibly fine sound, marvellous musical taste, technical talent on the trumpet, and his intelligence, he was a great example not only for trumpet players, but for all musicians.

"Mr Cimcoz was a pen-friend of Vincent Bach for many years. In the last years before Mr Cimcoz died, he gave me some photos and many original letters from Mr. Bach with his personal opinions about trumpet playing and mouthpieces (his 1¼C for example)."