Music for Love

Nine intimate concert stories by Hakan A. Toker

2024

Concept

Concert Series

'Music for Love' is a concert series constituting 9 concerts which may be spread throughout a season. Multi-faceted pianist, composer Hakan A. Toker has been inspired by love, more than anything else! In this series, he plays the music he has written for all the women he has loved for over 30 years in 3 continents, and talks about the story behind each piece, while displaying pictures and mementos that belong to the story.
The series may be scheduled monthly. Alternately, a short version of 'Music for Love' may be presented as a single concert covering one of the titles below, or a selection of them.

Instrumentation

Many of the pieces being for solo piano, are played by the composer himself. For others, he is joined by classical, jazz and Traditional Turkish musicians. These musicians may be chosen from local artists, wherever the series is to take place.

Presentation

Build a season-long residency or curate a single evening by combining any of the nine themes. Every event can close with an improvised dedication for a couple in the audience.

Program Titles

Cycle Highlights

  • Obsessive Love
  • Hopeless Love
  • First Lover
  • Love in USA
  • Love, Violin and Cello
  • Jazz Love
  • Turkish Love
  • To The Love of My Life
  • How I Made Money from Love

Program Details

1. Obsessive Love

Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Deniz…

Fantasia no.1 (1989)

Nokturne (1993)

Müzik Box Melodies (1993) I-II-III

Mermaide Waltz (1993)

Mermaides at Play (1993)

The Letter (1994)

Elegie (1994)

Fantasia no.2 (1995)

2. Hopeless Love

Piano and Accordion: Hakan A. Toker

to Gizem… Bagatella for harp (1994)

to İlke… Desperation (1995)

to Evrim… Birthday Waltz (1995)

Suite no.2 “Unfinished Promenades of Desparate Love” (1996)

to Janelle… Waltz no.12 “Sweet Tension” (2001)

to Nadezhda… Waltz for Accordion no.1 “Nadezhda (or Russian Mafia)” (2005)

to Emanuela… Waltz for Accordion no.2 “Flower Girl of Rome” (2006)

to Aslı… Three Pieces for Aslı (2007): I. Waltz II. Serenade III. Song without words

3. First Lover

Piano: Hakan A. Toker

Flute and Reciter

to Yeliz… Serenades (unfinished... with flute and reciter) (1997)

to Pernille… Waltz no.4, op.70 (1997)

Private and Shameless Waltzes for a Pichju, op.72 (1998) I-II-III-Pichjo!-V-VI-VII

Notebook for Pernille Elisabeth Bertelsen, op.82 (1999) I-VI

At the end of the program, the composer will improvise a piece based on the anniversary numerals of a couple to be selected that night, as a gift to them.

4. Love in USA

Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Jana… Bagatella no.21, op.85 “The Story” (1999)

to Kari… Waltz no.13 “A Relief…” (2002)

Bagatella no.22 (2002)

to Melek… Waltz no.14 “Melek” (2006)

to Lisa-Marie… Waltz no.15 “Love in Springtime” (2006)

Suite no.3 “Butterfly” (2006): Prelude, Waltz, Gavotte, Mandıra, Sarabande

At the end of the program, the composer will improvise a piece based on the anniversary numerals of a couple to be selected that night, as a gift to them.

5. Love, Violin and Cello

Tenor, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Megan… Honey-Butter Waltz (2000)

to Nadezhda… Nadezhda (or Russian Mafia) Waltz (2005)

to Canan… Canan’s Waltz (2007)

to Burcu… 1st Burcurella Waltz (2010)

from Baofen to Mattie and David... Mattie & David (2020)

from Karen to David... My Darling David (2020)

from Ozan to Ebru... Ozan & Ebru (2020)

from Danny to In Sun... In Sun Serenade (2021)

At the end of the program, the composer will improvise a piece based on the anniversary numerals of a couple to be selected that night, as a gift to them.

6. Jazz Love

Voice, Saxophone, Bass Guitar, Drums, Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Kari... Song: “The Humminbird” (2002)

to Lisa Marie... Reclining in the Love Lounge (2006)

to Esra… Song: “Sen” (You) (2007)

to Burcu... 2nd Burcurella Waltz (2011)

to Alice… Song: “Alice” (2014)

to Naz... Sevgilim (Beloved) (2021)

from Doug to Monica... Song: “Monica” (2020)

from Dick to Jane... Serenade for Jane (2021)

from Emily to Lee... Lee’s Waltz (2023)

from Hakan to Sara and Phillip... Sara & Phillip (2023)

At the end of the program, the composer will improvise a piece based on the anniversary numerals of a couple to be selected that night, as a gift to them.

7. Turkish Love

Voice, Kanun, Tambur, Ud, Klasik Kemençe, Percussion, Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Megan... Saz Semaisi (2000)

to Janelle... Song: “Ey Aşk, nasıl da kanılmazsın” (Oh love, how unquenchable you are) (2001)

to a secret lover… Song: “Yasak Aşk” (Forbidden Love) (2007)

to Burcu… Bed Buzz (2010), Burcurella’s Kanto (2010)

from Işıl to her beloved... Macahel Türküsü (2020)

from Söğüt to Ferruh... Ferruh Dance (2023)

Vocal improvisation on the messages of a couple to be chosen among the audience.

Arrangements from the album Alla Turca Alla Toker: “Ayrılık Valsi” (Song of Separation) - Zeki Müren, “Kalbe dolan o ilk bakış” (That First Glance That Fills The Heart) - Erol Sayan.

8. To The Love of My Life

Cello, Mouth Harmonica, Piano: Hakan A. Toker

to Naz… Waltz of The Anchovy and Almond

Song Without Words

Song: “Gizlenen” (The Hidden One)

I love you, hear me! (2016)

Waltz: “Waiting for Yarın” (2019)

Song: “Hadi Gel” (Come now) (2020)

5-6-1980 (2020)

Boogie Woogie Naz (2022)

Intermezzo (2023)

Scherzetto (2023)

Szardella Czardas (2024)

9. How I Made Money from Love

Voice, Saxophone, Bass Guitar, Drums, Latin Percussion, Piano: Hakan A. Toker, 2 dancers (tango)

from Öngün to Ekin and Umut... Ekin & Umut (2020)

from Mehmet to Güliz... Güliz & Mehmet (2020)

from Tarık to Didem... Didem’le Dans (2020)

from Furkan to Görkem... Görkem (2024)

from Nadir to Handan... Handan (2021)

from Oya to Anna and Ozan... Anna & Ozan (2021)

from Jay to Jennifer... Jennifer (2021)

from Molly to Julian... Jou & Moo (2021)

from Sabri to Nilsen... Sabri ve Nilsen (2021)

from Fırat to Pınar... Pınar’s Boogie (2022)

from Fırat to Zuhal... Samba de Zuhal (2023)

from Gerald to his beloved... Swingin’ in Marseille (2023)

At the end of the program, the composer will improvise a piece based on the anniversary numerals of a couple to be selected that night, as a gift to them.