AYLA ERDURAN

the legendary violinist has died

I received the sad news this morning that legendary Turkish violinist Ayla Erduran is dead.

Here is an interview in English describing a tragic life devoted to music. There is a terrible AI obituary in English also, not worth sharing. The famous Turkish pianist, Fazil Say, says this on his Facebook page (in Facebook’s translation from Turkish here):

Here is a gorgeous recording of Erduran playing Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro.

I received the message that Erduran had died from a Turkish woman musician this morning. She “is a legend, not just a ‘Turk Who Played Duets with Oistrakh’” I was told, and linked to the first Google News hit about her today. I refuse to link you to it, but here’s a screenshot:

Because I did not know who Ayla Erduran was before receiving the message, I wanted to share something better than this three line obituary with a horrible headline. I’m not a violinist and I’m not Turkish, so I’d welcome other good things to share. Hopefully there will be better obituaries in Turkish which can be translated.

Here’s a comment from Şölen Dikener: Thank you for sharing Ayla Erduran’s passing with a beautiful photo. Her name resonates with the beginning of modern Turkey during the immediate post WW I era. Despite being in the midst of a hard recovery, the new young government decided to make cultural reforms - including the classical music - and passed a new law to find and educate musical talents, and send them to Europe for proper music education… Mrs. Erduran was one of the first two selected violinists - along with Suna Kan, who spent several years in EU in return to represent her country as a cultural ambassador … she is followed by others from the next generation (most were given a lifetime salary and select appointments as soloists)… I have vivid memories listening to her live performances in Ankara where my mother performed as principal second violinist with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra… Ayla will be remembered with dignity and respect.