Oriented on making people closer

The name of the talented Turkmen violinist Aybolek Mukhieva is already known outside of Turkmenistan. A graduate of the Turkmen National Conservatory named after M. Kulieva, an assistant-internship at the Russian Academy of Music, a laureate of international competitions, a soloist of the symphony orchestra and string quartet, a teacher of the string department of the conservatory - Aybolek Mukhieva, despite her young age, has already managed to win the love of listeners and the respect of musicians.

She was born into a musical family. Her father is a conductor, for many years he has taught at the conducting department of the Turkmen National Conservatory named after M. Kulieva. At the age of six, Aybolek began learning to play the violin and at the age of seven she entered the Secondary Specialized Music Boarding School at the TNC. The teacher in her specialty was Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Z. Akhmedzhanova, who instilled high professionalism and hard work in her student.

During her school years, she participated in the violin ensemble under the direction of People's Artist of Turkmenistan Harold Neimark. As part of this famous group, she was a soloist and toured extensively in such countries and cities as St. Petersburg, Malaysia, and Belarus.

The rich repertoire in the ensemble and in the lessons of the specialty - from national works to classical and modern ones, intense musical and concert activities could not but give fruitful results. After graduating from school, Aybolek took part in a competition held between secondary music educational institutions. The award of first prize in this competition allowed her to enter the Turkmen National Conservatory in the class of Honored Artist of Turkmenistan, outstanding teacher Nikolai Amiyants.

School years, which she remembers with great gratitude, laid a solid foundation of skill and artistry, individual and collective creativity. And most importantly - love for her instrument, understanding its subtle expressive and technical capabilities. Already in her school years, the violinist had an extensive musical repertoire. She performed concerts by G. Wieniawski, E. Lalo, A. Khachaturian, a large number of foreign and Turkmen music.

Having entered the conservatory, Aybolek continues her active performance activities and participation in prestigious international competitions. The first student competition was held in Armenia, in the city of Gyumri and it was called "Renaissance" (2018). At this competition, she won the first prize, presenting a complex program, which included works by Paganini, Sibelius, Bach, Shaposhnikov.

In 2019, she was lucky enough to participate in another international competition called "Melos", which was held in Rome. This competition brought Aybolek the highest award - the Grand Prix. Much credit undoubtedly goes to the talented accompanist - senior lecturer of TNC, diploma winner of international competitions Stella Faramazova, with whom they have a strong creative partnership.

In parallel with her solo activities, Mukhieva participated in the State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Rasul Klychev, as well as in the chamber orchestra. As part of these groups, they visited many countries, participated in the Wagner Festival in Germany, in Days of Culture of Turkmenistan in Moscow, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, etc.

Successful graduation from the conservatory allowed her to enter the assistant-internship of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music with Professor V. Igolinsky. Two years spent within the walls of the Moscow university left unforgettable impressions and enriched the musician's inner world. Professor Vladislav Grigorievich Igolinsky contributed to the revelation of a more subtle perception of technical and intonational nuances of violin music, a deep comprehension of the trainee's professional skills.

Aybolek performed in the famous Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, the Great Hall of the Gnessin Academy of Music, and the Shuvalova Guest Room, performing classical examples of world music and works by Turkmen composers. Her rich repertoire of performances included works by Bach, Mozart, Wieniawski, Paganini, Tchaikovsky, and Ravel. Upon completion of her assistantship, she performed the violin concerto by the German composer Johannes Brahms.

After completing her internship, Aybolek Mukhieva returned to Ashgabat and continued working as a teacher in the String Instruments Department of the Orchestral Faculty of the M. Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory. She successfully combines teaching and concert activities, performing solo programs and as part of string ensembles.

Last year, during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the great Turkmen classic Magtymguly, Aybolek Mukhieva as part of a string quartet (1st violin) performed in Moscow at the arts festival "Sounds of Dutar" named after Nury Khalmamedov. The quartet performed pieces dedicated to the poet and written to his poems. On the stage of the famous Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Turkmen musicians demonstrated great skill and a high level of professionalism.

The talent of the young violinist impresses listeners with each new performance. At a solo concert held in the Great Hall of the Turkmen National Conservatory last year, Aybolek surprised the audience by performing the final numbers in dim lights. Despite technical problems, she masterfully performed Saint-Saëns' Rondo Capriccioso and Monti's Czardas, thereby further captivating the hearts of the audience.

Aybolek Mukhieva's performing style is distinguished by subtle intonation, the beauty of the violin sound, its expressiveness and meaningfulness. A broad musical outlook - from classical virtuosity and dramatic images to romantic lyrics and ethno-culture - contributes to the expansion of the musician's sound world and the improvement of his performing apparatus.

We hope that the young Turkmen violinist Aybolek Mukhieva will please us more than once with her musical interpretations and professional achievements.

Aliya Umarova

Photo: from the author