NEWS
HOW COLLECTIVE TALENT SPEAKS: RASUL KLYCHEV ON CREATIVITY AND BEYOND
The State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan under Rasul Klychev has become the President’s Türkmeniň Altyn Asyry Award winner. I met with maestro Klychev to personally express congratulations on behalf of our readers to him and the members of his star-studded (it is no exaggeration to say this) orchestra on the spectacular achievement.
- The State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan is quite young, Rasul says. - It was formed in 2007. Under the baton of its first conductor, People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Oraz Berdyev, the orchestral musicians began to reconstruct the best national operas. And later, the Magtymguly Music and Drama Theater’s repertoire was graced with operas based on destans (epic poems) such as ‘Shasenem and Garib’, ‘Leili and Mejnun’, ‘Zohre and Tahir’, among others…
The Orchestra, which boasts a wealth of professional experience, has performed with foreign singers, instrumentalists and conductors. Staged by Italian director Daniele de Plano, a production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera ‘Pagliacci’ starring the famous tenor Francesco Anile proved to be a significant milestone not only for the Orchestra, but also for national music as a whole. The Orchestra’s dazzling performance at the annual Viennese Ball in Ashgabat is another landmark event…
…Rasul Klychev literally burst on to our country’s music scene as a student. Since then, the talented and charismatic conductor’s musical career has been a big draw for scores of fans. He delights audiences with his great personal charm, soaring language of conducting and expressive gestures. It remains a total mystery even for his immediate circle of intimates as to where he finds the inspiration and energy for drawing up several concert programs in such a short amount of time and preparing for new musical seasons…
- Rasul, you have been at the helm of the Orchestra for five years. Not only have you become a famous name, your name is synonymous with perfectionism and is associated with bold innovations in music. How do you manage not to overstep that fine line between art for art’s sake and art for popularity’s sake?
- I was a fidgety boy just like any other children, and took great pleasure in playing football. Besides, I did not grow up in a musical family. Nothing would have portended my future popularity, had it not been for my aunt, Maral Byashimovna Cherkezova. Having noticed that I had a good ear for music and a sense of rhythm, she brought me to the Special Children’s Boarding School where she worked as a violin teacher… I got fascinated with Music and it has occupied a central place in my life since then. When the idea of establishing a youth orchestra was put into practice I became a conductor. From a dream to making it a reality, I worked my way, step by step, to gain the right to be in Art and serve it.
After reaching a certain stage in my career and realizing that I was capable of following the path, I proceeded to the next one. Music can be popular for listeners only. For musicians, music means treading the career path of relentless quests and tormenting doubts, diligent practice sessions and tireless work to improve oneself. The creative process requires total commitment. I live by this and expect the same from the other members of the Orchestra.
- The idea of popularizing classical music and adapting it to satisfy the needs of audience members of different ages and with varied musical interests is not novel. However, you have managed to create an original type of orchestral concerts, to blend various genres in a perfect fusion, to inject a youthful energy and drive into classical music, and to engage in an open dialogue with listeners.
Your orchestra’s each program is a truly unforgettable experience. We are grateful to you for the concert devoted to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. You have helped to shed new light on Charlie Chaplin as a composer. The journey to the world of Walt Disney cartoons, whose characters speak the language of music, brought absolute delight to both children and adults alike…
- The secret of the Orchestra’s success, apart from the performance talent, is attributed to the richly diverse repertoire, which enables to discover a range of individual abilities and foster higher performance standards in the spirit of collaboration. Sincere emotions and utter delight that can be seen on the faces of adults and children are the highest praise for us. We plan to set the much-loved folk tales ‘Bovenjik’ and ‘Akpamyk’ to music by Turkmen composers as a pleasant gift for young music enthusiasts.
- What are you going to captivate and thrill adult audience members with in the near future?
- In autumn, we will give a concert featuring works by Ludwig van Beethoven to celebrate the 220th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Rehearsals have already begun.
- We would like to reiterate our congratulations on the prestigious award and are looking forward to attending new performances by your talented Orchestra – a dazzling array of big names and creative musicians!