Ömer Eğecioğlu was born in 1954 in Ankara, Turkey. After graduating from Robert College of Istanbul, he studied Mathematics at the Middle East Technical University. For his graduate studies, he went to the United States on a scholarship, focusing on Mathematics alongside Computer and Information Sciences. He obtained his PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego, in 1984. Having lived in the United States for many years, the author is an emeritus professor of computer science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition to numerous scientific publications and books on computers and mathematics, his passion for music has also led him to conduct historical research in music and music history, specializing in the interactions between the Ottoman Turkey and the West during the 19th century. He has published a five-book anthology series in Turkish titled “Classical Music Articles from the Past and Present.” His other music related books in Turkish include “20th Century’s Violin Virtuoso: Child Prodigy Florizel von Reuter,” “Franz Liszt’s Pupil from İstanbul: Faik Bey Franz Della Sudda and his Family,” “Musical Strausses and the Ottoman Dynasty.” He is also the author of music related articles in English that appeared in journals and magazines such as Studia Musicologica, Musical Times, and Musical Opinion Quarterly.

“I have long wondered why there is no comprehensive biographical work on the life and times of Ahmed Fethi Paşa—an influential 19th-century figure in the Ottoman administration with close ties to the Sultan. He initiated the establishment of a number of important institutions, represented the Ottoman state as an ambassador in many Western countries, and moved easily in the cultural circles of European aristocracy. When Tarık Tüten approached me with the idea of an article for this volume, incorporating a number of episodes from the Paşa’s life that I had researched, I was delighted. This was my chance to contribute to the unwritten biography. My particular interest in the Paşa centers on his experiences in the vibrant valse culture of Vienna and his mission to attend the coronation of Queen Victoria, among other notable episodes. It is a privilege to contribute to Conversation in the Library and to help shed light on a life that deserves greater recognition.”

Ömer Eğecioğlu