As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of Kastamonu University, a Turkish Folk Music concert was held by our University's Academic Choir with contributions from the Culture and Arts, Turkish Folklore, and History and Archeology Application and Research Centers.

On May 11, 2026, a concert was held in the Sezai Karakoç Hall of the Central Library, open to the public and free of charge. Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, our Vice Rectors, Prof. Dr. Ömer Küçük, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Atalan, Prof. Dr. Selahattin Kaymakcı, the Acting Secretary General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Demirbaş, along with our academic and administrative staff, students, and many invited guests from Kastamonu, attended.

The concert performed by our university's Academic Choir was conducted by Prof. Dr. Sıtkı Akarsu, a faculty member of the Department of Musicology at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design.

The choir, consisting of 26 choristers and 7 instrumentalists, presented 19 works from different regions of Anatolia to the audience. The repertoire included selected pieces of folk music such as "Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım", "Yüksek Yüksek Tepelere Ev Kurmasınlar", "Cemile'nin Gezdiği Dağlar Meşeli", "Ateş Attım Samana", "Kırmızı Buğday", and "Karpuzu Kestim".

In the concert's ensemble, the maestro and on the traditional gourd lute, Instructor Ömer Gökhan; on rhythm instruments, Emirhan Uzar and Halil İbrahim Dönmez; on guitars, Can Kavalcı and Murathan Koyun; on bass guitar, Seymen Ali Kaya; and on the bağlama, Hızır Parlak performed. 

A surprise performance was also held at the concert. Sema Nazari, an Afghan national and a student at Yirmiüçağustos Middle School, took the stage and delighted the audience with her performance. 

The event, which was closely followed by art enthusiasts, concluded with our Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal, presenting flowers to the choir conductor, Prof. Dr. Sıtkı Akarsu, and a group photo taken in memory of the day.