Coleman-Rikhsiyeva: a tandem of mastery and talent

January 21, 2012

Piano Concerto No. 1 by Beethoven masterfully performed by young piano star Laylo Rikhsiyeva and a music premiere by a famous conductor David Robert Coleman of Berlin State Opera at a concert on January 21 amounted to a major cultural event for classical music enthusiasts in Tashkent.

The concert kicked off with an overture to “The Mastersingers of Nuremberg”, an opera written and composed by Richard Wagner, which was followed Piano Concerto No. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven during which Laylo Rikhsiyeva played solo. The young piano star’s mastery and exceptional playing skills made for a captivating performance, which drew enormous applause from the audience. The presents and congratulations from viewers were emblematic of the success of the joint performance by the famous European conductor and the Uzbek young pianist.

The second part of the concert program presented a premiere: for the first time in Uzbekistan the musicians performed “Evocations” and “Concord”, works by 20th-century American composers Carl Ruggles and Charles Ives respectively. The music written during the years of transcendentalism movement has a distinctive style while combining elements of traditional daily and extraordinary music and original instrumentation.

The concert, organized by the Fund Forum, the Ministry of Culture and Sports Affairs of Uzbekistan and the National Symphonic Orchestra of Uzbekistan, gave the audience an excellent opportunity to listen to famous classical pieces masterfully performed by Laylo Likhsiyeva and the National Symphonic Orchestra of Uzbekistan and to discover new masterpieces performed under the baton of David Coleman.

Laylo Rikhsiyeva, a piano student at Uspensky Music School:

- “Playing today with David Coleman was a very enjoyable experience. This was our second joint performance and we’re considering continuing with our cooperation and playing a concert again in the future. I like the way David conducts an orchestra and the way he feels the music. I am hopeful that the audience has found the concert as enjoyable as we did.”