Dilhayât Kalfa

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.