On the stage of the Tajik State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Sadriddin Ayni, a jubilee gala concert of the People’s Artist of Tajikistan, composer Tolibkhon Shahidi, will take place on May 21, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the country’s state independence.
This year, Tolibkhon Shahidi celebrated his 80th birthday. For decades, his work has remained an important part of Tajikistan’s cultural heritage. The maestro managed to combine national musical traditions with contemporary academic sound, creating a recognizable style recognized on world stages. Tolibkhon Shahidi’s music has been performed in Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the United States, and other countries, representing Tajik culture on the international stage.
The concert promises to be a large-scale musical event that will bring together outstanding performers, international musicians, and fans of high art. For Tajik musical culture, this is a special moment: compositions by the composer, whose name has long been a symbol of contemporary Tajik academic art not only in the country but also beyond its borders, will be performed on stage.
The evening will be given a special atmosphere by the participation of the world-famous conductor Hobart Earle, who will perform in Dushanbe for the first time. Hobart Earle is a graduate of Princeton University in the USA, a conductor with aт international reputation. In his career, he has collaborated with leading symphony ensembles in Europe and the USA, as well as with major Russian orchestras, including the Russian National Orchestra, the State Academic Symphony Orchestra named after Svetlanov, and the “New Russia” orchestra conducted by Yuri Bashmet.
The jubilee gala concert will feature domestic opera soloists and a combined symphony orchestra composed of musicians from Tajikistan and invited artists from Uzbekistan — representatives of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre named after Alisher Navoi and the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan.
Young pianists Daniil Kharitonov and Samir Abdurazoqov will perform piano compositions by Tolibkhon Shahidi.
Daniil Kharitonov is one of the outstanding young Russian pianists, a laureate of prestigious international competitions, including the third prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015.
A 16-year-old Samir Abdurazoqov is a representative of a renowned Tajik creative dynasty, the grandson of the People’s Artist of Tajikistan Habibullo Abdurazoqov and the son of pianist Nissor Abdurazakov. He is a finalist of the Swedish Unga Solister competition and a nominee for the Young Steinway Artist title, actively performing in Europe and the USA.
The director of the opera and ballet theatre, Kamoliddin Sayfiddinzoda, noted that the evening’s program will be “a true journey into the creative world of maestro Tolibkhon Shakhidi, who glorifies our national culture worldwide.”
The composer’s 80th anniversary was widely celebrated earlier in March in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the participation of Russia’s People’s Artists Valery Gergiev and Maxim Dunaevsky. The upcoming concert in Dushanbe will continue the jubilee events and simultaneously serve as a cultural dedication to the 35th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence.
Organizers promise a rich program that combines symphonic music, national motifs, and international performing skills.
Begins at 18:00.
Tickets are available at the theatre box office by phone 221-62-91 and on the platform Echipta.tj.
