David Coleman gives press conference in Tashkent

January 18, 2012

On January 18 David Robert Coleman, a conductor at Berlin State Opera, gave a press conference in Tashkent in the run-up to a concert he is scheduled to conduct on January 21 at the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan. The conference panel included Ismail Jalilov, the head of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Uzbekistan, and young up-and-coming Uzbek pianist Laylo Rikhsiyeva.

The three musicians who will appear in the January 21 concert, to be organized by the Fund Forum, the Ministry of Culture and Sports Affairs of Uzbekistan and the National Symphonic Orchestra of Uzbekistan, answered journalists’ questions related to the upcoming concert and shared their impressions of their collaborative efforts.

David Coleman, a conductor at Berlin State Opera:

- “I love being in Uzbekistan and I’m happy to be here today. I would like to express my thanks to the Fund Forum, which is one of the organizers of the concert. It’s amazing that the Fund Forum supports this sort of cultural events, which in turns means that so many positive things are going on here. I enjoy working with young and talented Uzbek pianist Laylo Rikhsiyeva. We collaborated last year in Germany where she demonstrated her talent and impressive skills. Laylo is very lucky because she’s surrounded by people who support her. Parents’ and teachers’ support has always been important for all great musicians. We will be performing interesting and challenging works in Tashkent. For the first time in Central Asia we’ll be playing pieces by a famous American composer Charles Ives. So, I invite you all to come to the concert with open ears and also enjoy a surprise we have for you.”

Laylo Rikhsiyeva, a talented Uzbek pianist who has emerged as a winner in several international competitions:

- “I have always loved music. As a child I would always listen to my aunt, famous Uzbek composer Dilorom Omonullayeva, playing the piano. One day I told my mom I wanted to learn to play the piano. So, when I was 5 I joined Uspensky Music School. Before I play any piece, I read the biography of its author in order to learn more about his creativity and what inspired him. When I play the piano, I try to feel the mood of the music and listen to myself from the side. I hope I’ll perform well at this concert and that the audience will enjoy it. It’s a pleasure to work with David Coleman, with whom I performed in February last year. He’s an amazing person and I hope I will play many more concerts with him.”

Ismail Jalilov, Uzbek opera singer and head of the National Symphonic Orchestra of Uzbekistan:

- “This is going to be a very interesting concert. The pieces we’re going to play are complex and beautiful at the same. We always invite famous and leading musicians, and David Coleman is one of them. An orchestra plays differently with a different conductor because t he conductor conveys his character to the orchestra. David has his own individual style and we love working with him. I hope David will also enjoy performing with us. As for Laylo, although she’s very young she is very successful and is able to play very challenging pieces professionally. I’m sure she has a big future in music and we’re glad that the Fund Forum provides assistance in organizing concerts with international celebrities and young talents.”

The program of the upcoming concert will include works by Richard Wagner, Beethoven and American modernist composer Charles Ives. The conference participants told journalists that the audience was in for a surprise at the concert, but most importantly they would have an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Note:

David Robert Coleman is a conductor at Berlin State Opera. Over the last years he has built up a reputation as a guest conductor working internationally with orchestras such as Frankfurt Radio Orchestra, Ensemble Modern Orchestra Frankfurt, Bremen State Orchestra, Nuremberg Symphoniker, Voronezh State Orchestra, Southwest German Radio Orchestra, Orquestra da Camara Mexico City and Mainz State Opera. Born into an English-German family in London, Coleman studied piano, musicology and conducting at King's College at Cambridge and at the Royal College of Music (London) where he won several prizes in orchestral conducting. He also pursued studies in composition.

Laylo Rikhsiyeva is a student at Uspensky Music School in Tashkent. She secured her first achievements under the tutelage of her teacher Lidiya Florentyeva and currently trains under Larisa Muhitdinova. In spite of being young, Laylo has gained significant experience. She has emerged as a winner in a series of international events in Europe such as Nikolai Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Paris (2008), Pietro Argento Piano Competition in Italy (2009), and Virtuozi in the Czech Republic (2009). In 2010 she participated in an international festival and summer school for pianists in Manchester. At Chetham's School of Music (UK) she demonstrated professionalism during workshops with prominent pianists such as Murray McLachlan, Masayuki Tayama, Vladimir Tropp, Jura Margulis and Dina Parakhina. Laylo was awarded a scholarship by the International Piano Academy Freiburg.