| Dilhayât Kalfa | |
|---|---|
| Died | 1780  |
| Occupation | Composer, singer |
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.
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.
References
- ^ 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.