An outstanding Kazakh pianist, representing the culture and art of Kazakhstan on the world stage, arrived in the capital of the United Arab Emirates not to give a solo concert here. Although, it is very unfortunate, but, apparently, fans of classical piano music and Zhania's creativity will have to wait a bit. In Abu Dhabi, Zhania took part in the opening of the week of Kazakh national cuisine, and also brought her talented students to the international forum "Education without Borders". We managed to meet and talk with the artist about music, talented youth, her teaching activities and international projects ...
Zhania, after winning the Margaret Long and Jacques Thibault International Competitions in France (Grand Prix, 1983) and the International Chamber Ensembles Competition (Grand Prix, 1985), you began an active concert activity. You were applauded in the best halls of America, England, France, Germany. What did you come to the Emirates with?
I ended up in the UAE not as an artist, but as the head of a delegation of my students who take part in the Education Without Borders forum. Of course, the format of the forum is a bit different from what I imagined, and my students are part of a cultural program, it is still very interesting for us here. And since the organizers of the forum are doing everything very well, and I don’t worry at all for the guys, since they already have experience of such performances, I have more time to relax than to work. Therefore, I am glad that I can afford to relax in a resort country by the sea, without rushing to go shopping., Devote some time to myself. Of course, the guys and I with great pleasure accepted the invitation of our embassy to speak at the evening dedicated to the national cuisine of Kazakhstan.
It’s strange that you didn’t participate in the Abu Dhabi Arts Festival held in parallel with the forum ...
We applied for participation, I think that next year or later we will definitely come to the Abu Dhabi Festival. In fact, the student groups of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, which I have been the rector since 1997, have performed a lot lately. We were at the Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Berlin Philharmonic. That is, I drive 100-150 people on tours to different countries at once. I’m probably not the most ambitious person, but if it turns out, then why not?
Wow, not ambitious! Is it not under your leadership that the conservatory has become the country's leading musical university and the cultural and educational center of the republic, and in 2001 it was given national status?
Well, yes, under mine. Over the past six years, our students have performed in the best halls in the world. And often I play with them myself.
So after all, did you gather and gather the audience at your concerts in these very halls?
Yes. My solo concerts and performances with famous orchestras are called upon to promote the world musical classics and works of Kazakhstan composers. I regularly perform in Kazakhstan, the largest concert halls in France, England, Germany, Japan, Russia, Poland, Italy, the USA, Israel, Greece, Hungary. My game was heard in “Salle Pleyel”, “Salle Gaveau” (France), the Great Halls of the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Moscow House of Music, “Barbican Hall”, “Wigmore Hall” (England), “Vigoda Hall” (Hungary), “Concert Hause” (Germany), “The Kennedy Center Concert hall”, “Carnegie Hall” (USA). I also collaborate a lot with such famous musicians and bands as Mikhail Pletnev, Alexander Sladkovsky, Alexander Vedernikov, Denis Shapovalov, Marat Bisengaliev, Alexander Trostyansky, Christoph Mangu, JeanGiyen Keira, Danel Quartet, Russian National Orchestra, French Radio Symphony Orchestra, English chamber orchestra and many others. Annually.
Please tell me, as the rector of the conservatoire, a man on tour and an active social activist, what do you manage to do to promote the art of Kazakhstani artists and musicians abroad?
You know, thank God, our state has now begun to seriously support creative youth. Probably, the crisis slightly corrected the desire to only make money. They began to pay more attention to culture and education, and therefore, it seems to me that it has become much easier for musicians to live with us. Of course, you always need to look for sponsorship funds, but I don’t know of another such conservatory in the world that would have budget funds for touring abroad. Moreover, from our country only a flight to anywhere in the world costs about a thousand dollars. But every year we have a budget for trips of up to 200 people. It is clear that all this is not so easy. I was developing a strategy for music education in the country, on the basis of which the state program was adopted. She herself went to see the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of our country. That is, in my case, the musician should have the ability to argue, to be a good manager and business executive.
What does the profession of musician mean for you personally? And did you immediately want to become a pianist?
For me, a musician is, first of all, a profession, which should bring joy to people, share their music with everyone. My country and my teachers, from whom I studied in Moscow, gave me so much that today I want to share all my accumulated baggage with everyone. I like to infect the music of others with this miracle. Children respond amazingly to this! And today I am proud that we have our own symphony orchestra in the conservatory, which presents woodwinds, as well as a unique orchestra of folk instruments. No one expects our youth playing today! They must be listened to, shown to the whole world.
As for my hobby for music, I liked to study since childhood. My dad wanted me to become an economist. In general, everyone around us believed that a pianist was not a profession, but like that. But finance did not interest me. And I went to study in Moscow. There I realized that there are plenty of people like me, and I have a lot of work ahead. I went to Paris for competitions several times, and did not qualify. Then my mother stopped letting me go there, saying: “Enough! Do you want to be the best in the world?”
My mother prophesied to you, you became the best in the world. And now, when you are alone with yourself, what kind of music do you play?
Music is a moment of happiness. Previously, I always played the work of a Kazakhstan composer, perhaps more than a thousand times I performed it. Unfortunately, not many of our Kazakhstan composers write for the piano. For the soul - this, of course, is Chopin, Brahms, Rachmaninoff. Recently - Mozart, Prokofiev. In fact, you and I are happy people - we have three centuries of settled, crystallized classical music. We inherited such wealth from which we can choose everything we like. Zhania, do you feel like a star?
Career and fame issues have long been secondary to me. Being a musician is a good mission, we bring people light and joy. After all, music should unite people around the world. Therefore, there should not be competition between musicians, there are so few of us. Playing the piano, today I feel my involvement in something unearthly, as if I pass the test to someone there who is looking at us. Music is given to the world for salvation! I am convinced of this. Thank you for your work, Zhania. We are waiting for you with solo concerts in the Emirates.
A FEW FACTS FROM BIOGRAPHY
On the initiative of Zhania Aubakirova, the Classics music agency was organized in 1998, which held Kazakh Seasons in France with great success, organized concerts in more than 18 countries, recorded more than 30 CDs, and more than 20 musical films about Kazakhstani performers.
For active work in the field of culture and education, Zhania Aubakirova was awarded many awards: People's Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Cavalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, winner of the European Union of Arts, Laureate of the Independent Award "Platinum Tarlan", Cavalier of the Order of Catherine the Great II degree "For strengthening friendship between Kazakhstan and Russia", Order of Merit for the culture of the Republic of Poland.
