Mazhar Alanson was born on February 13, 1950, in Ankara. His full name is Mahmut Mazhar Alanson. His father, Ferruh Alanson, served as principal trumpet player in the Symphony Orchestra. His mother, Melek Alanson, is a primary school teacher. The family environment included individuals engaged in artistic professions. His aunt, Neriman Esi, worked as an opera artist. His uncle-in-law, Muammer Esi, is a theater and film actor. Alanson spent his childhood years in Ankara.

Mazhar Alanson began his primary education at Ankara College. During this period, he received a disciplined educational environment alongside his academic training. After the death of his father Ferruh Alanson, the family moved to Istanbul. He continued his secondary education at Istanbul Maarif College (known today as Kadıköy Anatolian High School). During high school, he taught himself to play the guitar. He began listening to Western music groups such as The Beatles. Outside of his classes, he engaged in musical activities and started composing his own songs.

After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the Higher Theater Department of Ankara State Conservatory. He received four years of acting training there. During this educational period, he performed in theater plays and worked on stage practice and acting techniques.

Mazhar Alanson met Hale Alanson in 1970 and married her in 1972. They had two children: Eda Alanson and Hilmi Alanson. Their marriage ended on August 16, 2002. In 2003, he married Biricik Suden. He is currently married and a father of two children.

His Introduction to Music

Mazhar Alanson began playing guitar during high school. In 1966, he met Fuat Güner. This meeting took place on the Fenerbahçe Kalamış shoreline in Istanbul, accompanied by a Beatles album that Güner had acquired. Inspired by their shared passion for music, they formed a group called Kaygısızlar and began giving concerts. During this period, they performed songs by The Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young), and Rolling Stones, and started writing their own lyrics and music.

In 1971, with the addition of Özkan Uğur to the group, the first foundation of the band Mazhar Fuat Özkan (MFÖ) was laid. The trio decided to continue making music together and gained opportunities to collaborate with renowned musicians such as Sezen Aksu, Ajda Pekkan, Seyyal Taner, and Barış Manço. Mazhar Alanson took part in his first professional stage experience in Ferhan Şensoy’s musical "Şahları da Vururlar". Although the members pursued individual musical projects, in 1980, when Özkan Uğur joined Mazhar and Fuat, the group "Mazhar Fuat Özkan" was officially formed. The group’s first work was the musical "Merhaba Müzik," held in the summer of 1980.

MFÖ achieved major breakthrough with their 1984 album "Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız". This was their first album after years of dedicated work and gained attention with songs such as "Ele Güne Karşı," "Güllerin İçinden," "Bu Sabah Yağmur Var İstanbul'da," and "Yalnızlık Ömür Boyu." With this album, Mazhar Alanson attracted attention for his success as a lyricist. The album became a major success and remained on the charts for 26 weeks. In 1985, Mazhar Alanson won the "Lyricist of the Year" award.

The 1985 album "Peki Peki Anladık" shifted toward the new wave style, popularized by Dutch producer Peter Schön’s arrangements. In this album, "Buselik Makamına" was Mazhar Alanson’s first composition with a Sufi theme. Mazhar Alanson has stated that he has a deep affection for Sufism and uses noble themes in his song lyrics. He has also said that he learned his music from the Cerrahi Dergah and that by saying "I descended to my roots through Sufism," he recognized the melodies from 300 years ago.

In the 1990 album "Geldiler," they presented Turkey’s first examples of the globally popular rap music genre with the songs "Ali Desidero" and "Anında Görüntü". Additionally, by including Edip Cansever’s poem "Geçiniz" in their album, they became the first to interpret a poet’s poem in music. In 2002, Mazhar Alanson released his first solo album, Türk Lokumuyla Tatlı Rüyalar.

Theater and Film Acting

Mazhar Alanson is a graduate of the Higher Theater Department of Ankara State Conservatory. After graduation, he worked as an actor at Ankara State Theatre. During this period, he performed in various theater plays. He trained with classical and contemporary theater texts and received instruction in acting techniques such as voice, body movement, and emotional expression. Following his theater activities, he began appearing in film projects. He has continued his acting career alongside his musical identity. The roles he has taken in cinema encompass a variety of themes and characters.

Mazhar Alanson has appeared in various productions as both an actor and musician. He has played lead and supporting roles and has also contributed to the music of some films.

Arkadaşım Şeytan (1988): He portrayed the character "Mefisto." The film’s music was composed by MFÖ.

Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak (1998): He starred alongside Cem Yılmaz. The film reached a wide audience. Alanson won the 20th SİYAD Award for Best Film Music for his musical contributions to this film.

Hokkabaz (2006): He portrayed the father character.

Kirpi (2008): He played a character with a humorous dimension.

Mazhar Alanson has also appeared in several television series, typically in guest or supporting roles. These series include Ekmek Teknesi, Çekirdek Aile, and Osmanlı Tokadı.

Awards

Mazhar Alanson has been honored with various awards and recognitions in the fields of music and cinema. These awards encompass both his individual achievements and those accomplished with the MFÖ group.

1985 – Lyricist of the Year Award: Awarded for achievements in songwriting.

1998 – 20th SİYAD Award for Best Film Music: Won for the film "Her Şey Çok Güzel Olacak." He contributed as both actor and musician.

2003 – Kral TV Video Music Awards – Best Group (as MFÖ): Awarded based on public voting.

2017 – Album "Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız": Ranked number one on the list "Turkey’s 100 Best Albums," compiled by Hürriyet newspaper in 2017.

2019 – Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award (with MFÖ): Awarded for their contributions to Turkish music.