[2] He would then work alongside the renowned Russian composer Alexander Alexandrov, who would teach Umar music composition.Several of Umar's compositions during this early period of his career are still played in Chechnya, such as "The Chechen Waltz" of the stage production "The Red Citadel," and a song based on "Bela", a frame story of Mikhail Lermontov's "A Hero of Our Time".