Onno Tunc

Onno Tunc was a leading Turkish-Armenian musician, working mainly as a composer and an arranger. Tunç also played bass guitar and occasionally double bass, contributing to the albums of several musicians.

Early years

Onno Tunç was born in 1948 in Istanbul. His music experience started with the church choir of Hayrur Mangaz (Hundred students). In his first year of middle school, he had to drop out to go to work to support his family.

Born in a financially limited family, he could not afford a musical instrument although they fascinated him, until Anush, the mother of his friend Arman bought her son a guitar, and one for Onno too. Onno, a fast-learning autodidact, started a music band and with the first money he earned, he paid Anush back.

Career

He had 175 compositions and represented Turkey in many European music contests. A very close friend of Turkish singer Sezen Aksu, he co-wrote and composed many of the songs she performed throughout her career, as well as arranging all of her albums. It was widely known that his death tipped Sezen Aksu into depression. She dedicated her album Düş Bahçeleri to Onno (and numerous songs on virtually all of her albums since).

He composed his symphony, Su, which was performed by the Istanbul Symphony Orchestra.

He collaborated with Hülki Aktunç and Dağhan Baydur on the Turkish entry Sevince at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, which was performed by Nilüfer and Nazan.

Onno's younger brother Arto Tunçboyacıyan worked with him musically for 25 years. Arto is highly inspired by his brother, having dedicated numerous songs to him (and the mountain that caused Onno's accident) and an album "Onno" (1996), together with Ara Dinkjian. On performances, you can often read the letters O N N O on Arto's clothing.

Death

Onno Tunç died on January 14, 1996, when his private plane he was piloting crashed in bad weather on a mountain at Tazdağ near Selimiye village of Armutlu, Yalova on his journey from Bursa to İstanbul. Hasan Kanık, his friend aboard also died at the accident. Onno Tunç is buried in Şişli Armenian Catholic Cemetery in İstanbul. He was survived by two daughters Selin and Ayda from his first wife Canan Ateş.

In 2002, a monument was erected in his memory at the crash site and in the city center of Yalova.