A concert was held in Ashgabat at the Grand Hall of the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory in honor of International Music Day—the professional holiday of musicians, singers, composers, and conductors. The concert was organized by teachers of the Department of Chamber Ensemble. As always, in keeping with a long-established tradition, the concert opened with the dutar.
Laureate of the State Prize “Türkmeniň Altyn asyry” Lachyn Hudayberdiyeva performed the folk melody “Shirin Sheker,” beloved by generations of Turkmen people. The audience, which included many elderly people invited to the concert in connection with the Day of Older Persons, warmly welcomed the performance of the popular melody.
The concert programme also featured works by Charles Gounod, Mozart, Luigi Arditi, Sebastian Bach, and other European composers. Works by Turkmen composers were also widely represented. An unusual performance was given by the duet of two sopranos—Honoured Artist of Turkmenistan Leyli Okdirova and laureate of the State Prize “Türkmeniň Altyn asyry” Bahar Durdyeva—who performed “Autumn Song” by Felix Mendelssohn. Through the tenderness and crystalline interplay of the two vocalists’ voices, autumn was presented in all its beauty.
The diverse concert programme also included instrumental works. For example, Honoured Artist of Turkmenistan Vladimir Mkrtumov performed Sonata No. 18 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Fifth-year conservatory student Seyran Atanyazov performed the violin solo from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Sleeping Beauty.” First-year student Assel Ruslanova delighted the audience with her performance of the complex passages, trills, and high notes in “Villanelle” by Eva Dell’Acqua. It is noteworthy that both performers—Seyran and Assel—have been invited to participate in the Delphic Games for young cultural and arts professionals from the CIS countries, which will take place in Dushanbe in early October. The audience wished them success in representing their country at the international creative forum.
Among the works of the Turkmen musical classics, the programme included “Ayna’s Ballad” by Nury Halmamedov from the film “The Decisive Step,” performed by People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Gulnar Nuryeva. Laureate of the State Prize “Türkmeniň Altyn asyry” Arzygul Gylyjova performed the song “Garshy” by Durdy Nuryev. With the song “Mood” by Nury Halmamedov, laureate of the State Prize “Türkmeniň Altyn asyry” Begench Gaipov noticeably lifted the spirits of everyone in the audience. The accompanists for the festive concert were international competition diploma winner Stella Faramazova and Enejan Nuryeva.
The concert concluded with the song “Toy Aydymy” by Chary Nurymov. All the vocalists who had taken part in the musical evening came onto the stage to perform the final number.
