By Classical music enthusiasts in Dubai can look forward to a two day musical extravaganza to be performed by renowned Almaty Symphony Orchestra, led by award-winning violin virtuoso Erzhan Kulibaev at The Theatre, Mall of The Emirates, on the 28th and 30th January 2021. This will be the orchestra’s first performance in the emirates. Since its inception in 2012, the group has performed in prestigious venues around the world including at the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, the Crocus City Hall in Moscow and at the Astana Opera in Kazahkstan among many others. The show in Dubai will feature several popular classical scores such as “The Four Seasons” of Antonio Vivaldi, and passionate sound of tango in “The Seasons in Buenos Aires” by Astor Piazzola.
Erzhan, 34, a violin soloist, is a young prodigy with a string of awards and spectacular shows to his credit. In 2006, 2010 and 2011 he was awarded an Honorary Diploma by the Queen of Spain Sofia and played in the Royal Palace of El Pardo. Erzhan holds a teaching position at the Katarina Gurska High School of music in Madrid.
Ahead of the show Erzhan speaks to middleeastmasala:
How early were you initiated into music? What were your childhood memories around music?
I started playing the violin at the age of six. The smell of wood and rosin when I was given a violin for the first time are still very distinct childhood memories. My first teacher — NM Patrusheva, was the best in the country and has now became a legend in our violin school. A lot of beautiful music came in to my life after meeting him. Playing the violin has opened a new world full of emotions for me.
What and who inspired you to become a professional violinist?
My heroes were and still are David Oistrakh and Jascha Heifetz. I could have never imagined that years later I would study with their disciples — Zakhar Bron, a former student of D. Oistrakh and Pierre Amoyal, a student of J. Heifetz.
The tradition of Baiseitova musical school in Almaty is very strong, I was always sure of becoming a professional violinist from the very beginning.
What has been your most cherished performance till now?
I would say playing in Carnegie Hall, playing at Mariinsky Theatre with Valery Gergiev and playing at Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Just before COVID-19 lockdown together with Almaty Symphony Orchestra, we performed a fabulous concert at the best concert hall in Nur-Sultan. We got a standing ovation for nearly five or six times.
But I feel that the most cherished performance is yet to come!
What are the challenges that classical musicians face today?
The current situation changes our reality and tradition as it does for everyone else. Looking back, throughout history, we see that most significant music was written during this kind of social collapse. So, it is very probable that composers have written great music during lockdown. We will discover that someday.
What can audiences in the UAE look forward to from your orchestra performance?
The most important thing of our programme is The Contrast we bring in through the music. We have got Four Season written by Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian baroque composer, and another version of Four Seasons of the year by the incredible Astor Piazzolla, the guy who made a revolution in Tango music. He broke all the rules and brought Tango to the next level and received world fame. By nature, seasons in Italy and Argentina, are never the same — when it is a summer in Italy, in Argentina it is a winter. It is always an opposite thing. Isn’t that incredible?
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