Three American conductors, Derek Beckvold, Avery Waite, Peter Thoresen, famous violist Kim Mai Nguyen, and students and teachers of the National Conservatory presented a musical Christmas gift to the people and visitors of Ashgabat.
The program of the concert that took place at the Magtymguly Turkmen Musical and Drama Theater included performances of the choir, cello ensemble, violists, brass and jazz bands, symphony and chamber orchestras.
The vocal group of the Turkmen National Conservatory led by Peter Thoresen performed popular Christmas songs, immersing the audience into the joyful and exciting holiday spirit.Derek Beckvold performed a soulful saxophone version of “the Pomegranate Tree”, a Turkmen folk melody in an arrangement by Nury Halmammedov, and received a burst of rapturous applause.
Bahar Annadurdyyeva, a pianist of the Conservatory, presented Fazil Say’s solo variation of “Summer Time” by George Gershwin.Dixieland performed two ragtimes by Scott Joplin.One of them was “The Entertainer”, a popular piece, well-known by our audience.
The program also included “The Turkmen Dance” by Rejep Rejepov; a piece from “Leyli and Mejnun” opera by Danatar Ovezov, and a medley of most famous works by Turkmen composers.
Stella Faramazova, a winner of international competitions, was the accompanist of the concert.The concert, co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and the U.S.Embassy in Turkmenistan, became a wonderful present not only for the audience, but also for the performers of the two countries that enjoy the successful development of the cultural dialog.