REMEMBER
A Solo Concert By Feride Buyuran
April 4, 2026 · 6:00 PM
Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall
Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
California State University, Long Beach
PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC AND MOBILE DEVICES
PROGRAM
UZAQ YAŞIL ADA (A Faraway Green Island)
music: Emin Sabitoghlu, lyrics: Vagif Samadoghlu
QURBAN ADINA (Beloved, Remember Me Once)
music: Said Rustamov, lyrics: Suleyman Rustam
MƏN SƏNİ ARARAM (I Will Look for You)
music: Fikrat Amirov, lyrics: Talat Eyyubov
HER YERDE KAR VAR (The Snow is Falling Everywhere)
music: Salvatore Adamo, lyrics: Fecri Ebcioglu
ADIO KERIDA (Farewell, Beloved)
folk song
GOLE SANGAM (I am a Flower of Stone)
music: Anoushirvan Rouhani, lyrics: Bijan Samandar
YOL GEDİRƏM (On a Journey)
music and lyrics: Feride Buyuran
KAMANCHA SOLO
performed by Toghrul Orujov
INTERMISSION (15 MINS)
DƏŞTİ TƏSNİFİ - ŞEİRƏ-QƏZƏLƏ (I Gave My Heart to Poetry)
music and lyrics: Alibaba Memmedov
KÜÇƏLƏRƏ SU SƏPMİŞƏM (I Sprinkled Water on the Streets)
folk song
CAUCASIAN ROSE
composer and pianist: Ali Tolga Demirtas
YADINDAMI (Remember?)
music and lyrics: Feride Buyuran
LALƏLƏR (Poppies)
music: Telman Hajiyev, lyrics: Aslan Aslanov
BANA BANA GƏL (Come to Me, Come)
music: Jahangir Jahangirov
lyrics: Zeynal Jabbarzade
POTPOURRI
choreography and dance by Meltem Buyuran
MEET-AND-GREET
Please join us in the lobby after the concert for refreshments and an opportunity to meet the performers.
THE ENSEMBLE
Feride Buyuran – Vocal
Born in Azerbaijan, Feride grew up in a culture where music is part of everyday life. Long before stepping onto a stage, she sang for friends and family. Without formal training, she began pursuing singing more seriously later in life, guided by passion and using music as a form of personal expression. She joined the Turkish Choir in Los Angeles in November 2019 and, just three months later, in February 2020, performed her first solo, Adio Kerida, a piece she considers her lucky charm. During the pandemic lockdown, Feride began learning guitar. Over time, she started composing original songs and exploring a variety of musical genres. Multilingual and deeply interested in cultures, Feride performs in several languages alongside her native Azerbaijani. In 2024, she presented her first solo concert, LONGING, alongside another vocalist, while REMEMBER marks her first full-scale solo concert. Feride holds an MA and an MBA and is the author of the multi-award-winning cookbook Pomegranates and Saffron: A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan. She also leads immersive culinary and cultural tours to Azerbaijan and neighboring Georgia.
Instagram: @feridebuyuran
Youtube: @feridebuyuranmusic
Ali Tolga Demirtas – Piano
Born in Türkiye, Ali began performing alongside his musician father, mastering violin early and piano by age 15. By 17, he expanded his skills to include composition, conducting, orchestration, and jazz. He studied jazz piano at Codarts University of the Arts in the Netherlands and has performed with renowned Turkish artists, including Sezen Aksu and Ajda Pekkan. He released his debut album, Hadi Gülümse, and his first contemporary solo jazz piano album, Moments, recently. Ali was one of the founders of the Turkish Classical Music Choir in Los Angeles, which he directed for several years. He performs widely across the U.S. and internationally as a multi-instrumentalist.
Instagram: @alitolgamusic
Toghrul Orujov – Kamancha
A native of Azerbaijan, Toghrul trained at a specialized music school in Baku, graduated from Baku Music College, and earned a master’s degree in kamancha performance from the Azerbaijan National Conservatory. He taught kamancha locally and performed with the Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Instruments. A Grand Prix winner at the All-Republic Folk Instrument Competition and laureate of the Azerbaijan National Mugham Competition, Toghrul has performed extensively in Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, and beyond. In Washington, D.C., he performs with local bands and the Turkish Choir.
Instagram: @toghrulorujov
Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu – Upright Bass
Based in Los Angeles, Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu is a versatile bass player and educator. After moving from Istanbul, Türkiye in 2012, he has collaborated with artists including Alan Pasqua, Stanley Jordan, Arturo Sandoval, Bill Cunliffe, Dave Koz, David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Jane Monheit, and Sarah Gazarek. Ahmet has recorded and toured internationally with jazz, pop, and folk musicians. He holds a doctorate in Jazz Performance from the University of Southern California and teaches bass at Cal State University Fullerton and Los Angeles City College.
Instagram: @sezinahmet
T.J. Troy – Percussions
T.J. Troy is a multi-Grammy® Award-winning percussionist and educator based in Southern California. He bridges Indian and Middle Eastern percussion traditions, contemporary classical music, and modern drumset performance. He has performed with Diamanda Galás, Pete Townshend, Billy Idol, Dalal Abu Amneh, Ustad Aashish Khan, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and Cirque du Soleil. Founder of the mixed-media ensemble Run Downhill, T.J. has released seven albums of original work. He teaches percussion at Chapman University and has long served as a Modern Dance accompanist at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.
Instagram: @run_downhill
THANK YOU
We are grateful to California State University’s Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall for hosting our concert.
We would also like to express our sincere appreciation to the following individuals and teams who made this concert possible:
Marcus Carline and the entire team of Daniel Recital Hall technicians for all technical support
Narmina Ismayilova – Stage Design
Robert Arseven | Arseven Photography – Concert Photography (www.arsevenphotography.com)
Meltem Buyuran – Choreography and Dance (Instagram: @meltembeee)
Nazli Iskandarova – for all the delicious homemade cookies and tea
Thank you to everyone who has helped in so many different ways–we are truly grateful!
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our audience for sharing this musical evening with us. We hope to see you again soon!
