The State Conservatory has its beginnings in its later sister institution, Darülbedayi. In 1914, Cemil Topuzlu embarked on an enterprise to establish the imperial school of drama and music, and French actorAndré Antoine was invited to Istanbul for this purpose. In its initial structure, Darülbedayi would teach performing arts and stage music, as well as European and Turkish music in their respective departments. The institution thus founded, its premises was initially going to be the famous Letafet Apartmanı, a now demolished fin de siècle housing structure. However, with World War I breaking out before its inauguration ceremony, the institution would go on an indefinite hiatus and was shut down entirely by 1916. Plans were made to revitalise the institution and establish a new and independent music school. They would materialise in New Years' Day 1917 as the Darülelhan, a four-year academy that focused mainly on Turkish music. Following the foundation of the Turkish Republic, Darülelhan would go on a period of restructuring, and would be renamed the Istanbul Conservatory, after the addition of a European-style music department. By the late 1920s, the school was teaching solfège, music theory, harmony, composition, instrumentation and orchestration, music history and instrumental training, among other skills. In these early years, lectures were given in the wooden townhouse that served as the schoolhouse. Performances by the three-piece chamber orchestra started by Cemal Reşit Rey, a member of the later 'Turkish Five', would go on to be quite popular. By the early 1950s, a performing arts department was established, and director Muhsin Ertuğrul began his career at the conservatory as a teacher. In 1986, the conservatory became a school within Istanbul University.
Notable alumni
Since its inception during the late 19th century, the conservatory has had a number of distinguished list of graduates and teachers, including all of the members of the 'Turkish Five': Ahmed Adnan Saygun, Cemal Reşit Rey, Ulvi Cemal Erkin, Hasan Ferit Alnar and Necil Kazım Akses. Legendary soprano Leyla Gencer studied voice training in the conservatory. Some of alumni; Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Ali Güven, Ali İl, Alican Yücesoy, Aslı Yılmaz, Atılgan Gümüş, Aysun Metiner, Ayşen Çetiner, Ari Barokas, Boran Kuzum, Bennu Yıldırımlar, Buket Bengisu, Can Başak, Can Doğan, Caner Özyurtlu, Cemal Toktaş, Cenk Tunalı, Derya Kurtuluş, Doğan Duru, Engin Gürkey, Ferhat Göçer, Fikret Kuşkan, Fora Baltacıgil, Göktuğ Alpaşar, Gülen Karaman, Şencan Güleryüz, Güneş Berberoğlu, Güneş Duru, İpek Erdem, Jülide Kural, Kemal Kocatürk, Kosta Kortidis, Levent Yüksel, Memet Ali Alabora, Mine Tugay, Nejat Birecik, Nihal Yalçın, Okan Yalabık, Oktay Kaynarca, Olgun Şimşek, Peker Açıkalın, Selim Erdoğan, Serkan Ercan, Sevda Karababa, Sevgi Sakarya, Taner Ertürkler, Taner Ölmez, Tufan Karabulut, Uzay Heparı, Uğur Polat, Yeşim Alıç, Yeşim Koçak, Yıldız Asyalı, Sanem Çelik, Öykü Karayel, Özden Ayyıldız, Özge Borak, Özgü Namal
