Born in 1919 in İstanbul. He is one of the first graduates of the newly founded Ankara State Conservatory brass instruments department. He was appointed to the Presidential Philharmonic Orchestra after graduation. He studied composition and conducting with Ernest Praetorius, stage music and choir directing with Georg Markowitz, and with stage director Carl Ebert, staging. He established a children's choir at Ankara State Radio. In 1950, he took being the director of Atlas Film music department and became the first composer to realize an original score for cinema with a full orchestra and lay music on film. He was appointed to the Musical Director of Istanbul Municipal Theaters in 1972, and İstanbul Municipal Conservatory in 1974. He resigned from this position in 1984, however continued his teaching position until 1987. He has been lecturing Film Music at Mimar Sinan University Film and TV Studies department. He has also been a lecturer between 1974-1980 as a "folklore-scientist" at İstanbul Economic Sciences Academy School of Journalism. Otyam has composed 110 soundtracks, 15 stage music scores, children's songs, marches, and folk songs arranged for orchestra and choir. Included among the numerous international and national awards he has received are Ministry of Culture 25th Year Honorary Art Award (1979), and Mimar Sinan University Special Prize of Labor for Turkish Cinema (2000).