In Prizren, the city of South Kosovo, with a performance by Pianist Tutu Aydınoğlu and a presentation by Nuray Ocaklı,  ‘’Sultan Abdülhamid Han’s Lost Piano’’ was held on March 10-11, 2022.

Vice Consul at the Turkish Consulate General in Prizren Cenk Şen, Pristina Yunus Emre Institute Director Mehmet Ülker, Peace Corps Kosovo Turkish Delegation of Representation President Colonel Fatih Cansız and many art lovers attended the concert organized by Yunus Emre Institute (YEI) at the Lorenc Antoni Musical School.

Pianist Aydınoğlu said that the concert was relevant to the works and history of Abdülhamid Han, which was thought to be lost..

IT SHOWS THE SULTAN’S INTEREST IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Indicating that the audience approached the concert with interest and admiration since today’s Ottoman narratives were generally based on wars and palaces, Aydınoğlu said, ‘’There is little room for culture related to the history of that period. Thus, a topic was encountered that no one expected. Sultan’s interest in piano, his interest in classical music, is a project that shows how selective he is in classical music.’’

Pristina Yunus Emre Institute Director Ülker also expressed his happiness that art lovers, including Kosovo’s Minister of Culture Hajrulla Çeku, showed interest in the concerts held both yesterday in the capital Pristina and today in Prizren.

Referring to the activities that Yunus Emre Institute will organize in Kosovo throughout the year, Ülker declared, ‘’We have a very serious target audience in our Turkish courses in 2022; we are planning to reach it.  We continue to work with approximately 1,300 trainees. With science teams and youth camps, we will organize youth activities and activities aiming to meet them, mostly in Turkey.  Moreover, we will organize events to make traditional Turkish archery become a club throughout Kosovo, and competitions.’’

The concert was created with Tutu Aydınoğlu’s re-performing of 38 pieces included in the auto piano bought for Sultan II. Abdülhamid in 1907, and featuring pieces such as Listz, Moszkowski, Guno, Necip Paşa’s original Hamidiye Marşı and ‘’Türk Muhafızları’’, which the Sultan loved, was followed with interest by the audience.