TURKSOY orchestra performs Kazakh compositions in Balkans
The tour which started on July 23rd, 2018 featured six concerts in 3 countries with performances in Pristina, Prizren, Cetinje, Mostar, Sarajevo, and Zenica.
This year, the orchestra performing under Maestro Mustafa Mehmandarov from Azerbaijan featured young artists from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
The repertoire of the orchestra which was established in 2010 in order to foster the mutual exchange of experience among young artists from Turkic speaking countries and introduce the classical music of Turkic peoples to the world featured world classics as well as works by composers of the Turkic World.
Following two concerts held in Pristina and Prizren within the framework of the "International Awakening Through Art Festival", the orchestra took the scene together with the world-famous Russian violinist Viktor Tretiakov in Cetinje, the Cultural Capital of Montenegro. The concert held within the framework of the Espressivo Music Festival featured Viktor Tretiakov as well as Natalia Likhopoi and the virtuoso from Montenegro Miran Begić as soloists. The Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY which recorded its performance in a studio prior to its concert in Cetinje also performed the world premiere of "Divertimento" by Milivoja Picurica who is one of the famous local composers.
The tour went on in Mostar, where the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY took the scene for the second time after last year at the Summer Festival of Mostar. The audience in Mostar was enchanted by the performance of young artşsts from the Turkic World and gave them standing ovations as a sign of their appreciation.
The second stop of the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY in Bosnia Herzegovina was the capital city Sarajevo. The concert which took place in the historical Officer's Club of Sarajevo gathered the Director of the Yunus Emre Institute Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş along with many guests. Upon announcement of the passing away of another famous Azerbaijani composer, Hayyami Mirzazade, the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY also included Gara Garayev's "Grief" in its programme to pay tribute to this illustrious personality of the Turkic World.
The last concert of the tour took place in the city of Zenica in Bosnia Herzegovina. After its Nevruz Celebration event in Zenica with a large group of artists from the Turkic World in March this year, the concert of the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY has been the second event held by TURKSOY in this beautiful city of the Balkans. The concert held in cooperation of the Chamber Orchestra of Zenica with the Yunus Emre Institute and the Bridges of Brotherhood Association gathered a large audience. The event which gathered the Chamber Orchestra of Zenica and the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY was strongly appreciated by the audience. Young artists who exchanged notes with eachother prior to the tour were excited to share the same stage after a long period of rehearsals. In the last part of the concert, the orchestra composed of artists of the Zenic Chamber Orchestra and the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY performed Nury Khalmamedov's "Lullaby'' under Maestro Amna Husejnagić from Bosnia Herzegovina. The performance of Sajid Jusić's "Time" by the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY under Maestro Mustafa Mehmandarov received standing ovations from the audience.
As the concert ended with a piece by Gara Garayev, the audience gave a long-lasting applause to the orchestra for its brilliant performance.
Works by composers of the Turkic World were strongly appreciated
The concert which lasted approximately featured world classics as well as works by composers of the Turkic World. As a tribute to the common hero of the Turkic World, the Kazak kuy "Koroghlu" by Dauletkerey Shygayuly, a famous minstrel from the 19th century and Makhambet's ‘'Sword of the People'' were performed for the first time outside Kazakhstan. Both works were arranged by Birjan Mynbaiev from the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY. This year, the repertoire of the orchestra featured works by Gara Garayev from Azerbaijan and Nury Khalmamedov from Turkmenistan in commemoration of the 100th and 80th anniversary of their birthday respectively. Besides, the orchestra also performed works by Seitaly Medetov from Kyrgyzstan and Ulvi Cemal Erkin from Turkey.
The Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY paid tribute to the memory of Hayyam Mirzazade
Upon announcement of the passing away of the famous composer from Azerbaijan Hayyam Mirzazade at its concert in Cetinje, the orchestra included Gara Garayev's "Grief" into the programme of its concert in Sarajevo. TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov who delivered as speech prior to the performance said: "‘'My distinguished friend Hayyam Mirzazade has strongly contributed to the enrichment of the music of the Turkic World. Besides his works, which are a great legacy for all of us, he has taught many students. His passing away is a great loss for us. We commemorate Hayyam Mirzazade and pay tribute to him."
Viktor Tretiakov : It was a really exciting experience to take the scene together with the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY
In his statement after the concert, the virtuoso Viktor Tretiakov who took the scene together with the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY at the Espressivo Music Festival in the city of Cetinje in Montenegro said: "Before I came to this festival, I had only heard about this orchestra. We got acquainted with eachother in our first rehearsal together. I was really impressed by their energy and musical skills. It is a great orchestra with a great conductor, Mustafa Mehmandarov. We gave a wonderful concert. Besides, this concert has also been a unique opportunity for me and my old friend Dusen Kasseinov after 38 years. We had studied together in Moscow, then we met in Mexico years ago. I am really happy that we have met again here and it is also a great joy for me to have performed with the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY at this beautiful festival.''
Miran Begić: This has been the most beautiful concert ever held in our festival for the last 11 years
The violinist from Montenegro Miran Begić said that the aim of the festival is to make it possible for artists of Montenegro to perform together with world-famous orchestras and soloists and added: "I think, this has been the most beautiful concert ever held in this festival for the last 11 years. This is to a great extent thanks to the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY and to our guest soloists. We have been following up TURKSOY and its activities for many years. This year we have finally realized our first cooperation activity. Today's concert and performance clearly stands as a proof of the fact that our cooperation will last for many years ahead and bring about major projects and achievement.''
TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov: For 25 years, we have been building bridges of friendship through art as a universal language
The Secretary-General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY Prof. Dusen Kasseinov said that the tour of the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY gathers kindred peoples of the Balkans as well as people interested in Turkic culture and art and added: "We have once again witnessed the unifying power of music which transcends linguistic, religious and racial borders."
Secretary General Kasseinov also said: "As a matter of fact, TURKSOY is an international organization of cultural cooperation which has been building bridges of friendship for 25 years and bringing cultures and peoples closer together through art as a universal language.''
The Director of the Yunus Emre Institute Şeref Ateş: These young artists are blooming flowers in the garden of humanity
The Director of the Yunus Emre Institute Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş who attended the concert of the orchestra in Sarajevo especially congratulated the artists and Maestro Mustafa Mehmandarov at the end of the concert and expressed his strong appreciation of their performance.
The Director of the Yunus Emre Institute further said: "These young artists are blooming flowers in the garden of humanity, we are really very happy to have organized such a wonderful event in Sarajevo. Let me also congratulate TURKSOY Secretary General Dusen Kasseinov for having established such a wonderful orchestra. I wish many more years of successful activities to TURKSOY which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.''
Mustafa Mehmandarov: It is a great source of pride for me to be representing the Turkic World in major cultural venues around the globe
Mustafa Mehmandarov first joined the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY in 2010 as a violinist. Since 2016 he has been working as its conductor. This year, Mehmandarov who conducted the orchestra together with its founding conductor Maestro Anvar Akbarov has assumed this function on his own for the first time. Maestro Mehmandarov said that the orchestra has completed an intensive programme of rehearsals in Ankara prior to the tour and added: ''Our concerts in Pristina, Prizren, Cetinje, Mostar, Sarajevo and Zenica were a great success. But this tour is not only a matter of subsequent concerts of course. It has also been a unique opportunity for us to come together with young artists from 5 different countries. We have learned from each other, we became friends and we performed together. Another important aspect of this tour is the fact that it is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of TURKSOY. I have been contributing to activities carried out by TURKSOY for nearly 8 years and I can say that TURKSOY has brought about many opportunities for me, not only for my career but also in general terms. Above all, it has offered me the opportunity to proudly represent the Turkic World in major cultural venues around the globe. Just to give you an example; many of us could only dream of performing together with Viktor Tretiakov. Thanks to TURKSOY, this dream has come true.''
The Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY
This year, the Youth Chamber Orchestra of TURKSOY which performs under its conductor from Azerbaijan, Maestro Mustafa Mehmandarov takes the scene with Huseynali Huseynaliyev from Azerbaijan, Assem Kalman, Almaz Nigmatov, Aidar Kazken and Ulpa Ibrayeva from Kazakhstan, Uulzhan Taalaibekova and Akkyz Idrisova from Kyrgyzstan, Daniil Margulis, Ozgur Deniz Kaya, Aliya Okeev, Ecem Eren and Ilayda Unalan from Turkey and Sabina Alikperova, Kakageldi Hojalekov, Toyly Yagshyyev and Bahram Dolyyev from Turkmenistan.
The tour dedicated to the 25th anniversary of TURKSOY has been organized with the contribution of TURKSOY, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and the Yunus Emre Institute.