Ashgabat's talented youth are changing the capital's cultural landscape. The Melodiya Orchestra, founded by cellist and international competition laureate Annaoraz Dovletov, has become a new name on the musical map. This new blood in the city's musical veins is a daring project of friends and like-minded individuals that has already made waves in the artistic elite even before its official debut.

The musicians are planning a series of concerts, the first of which will take place in February. We asked the orchestra's director, Annaoraz Dovletov, to share the details.

— Creating your own orchestra is always a challenge for a soloist. What was the trigger for you?

— The cello is beautiful, it's as close as possible to the human voice, but its palette is limited. An orchestra, on the other hand, is a gigantic, polyphonic instrument. For me, it's a transition from the role of performer to that of architect of a sound space. At some point, you realize that working with an orchestra is the highest form of pedagogy. Here, you're not just interpreting a melody; you're building a unified thinking of dozens of professionals. It's an opportunity to realize your vision of a piece down to the smallest nuances.

— Melodiya has some stars. How did you manage to assemble such a "team" of talent?

— To the public, they are laureates and stars, but to me, they are friends; some of them spent my student and even childhood years with me. When I shared the idea, they supported it immediately. Among them, I'd like to highlight the guys who were happy to help me with ideas. These are Ogulgerek Sultanmuradova, Ailar Botayarova, Ogulsona Yazova, Selbi Yagshieva, Dzhennet Khudaykulieva.

-If the entire orchestra is made up of friends and peers, how do the rehearsals work? Surely each member has a lot of creative ideas. How do you negotiate? Or is the leader's authority unquestionable?

-That's the unique thing about our orchestra—that we don't have a conductor. And the fact that we're classmates and fellow students only helps us understand each other better. We're all people of the same generation, and we all communicate on the same wavelength.

-Your debut on February 7th is dedicated to the memory of Jamal Mukhammedova. Please tell us about this dedication.

Jamal Mukhammedova was more than just a cello teacher to me. She was a beacon in my life. This concert is my way of saying "thank you" to my mentor, who always believed in me and helped me solve problems, not just musical ones. I am immensely grateful to her. She's not with us today, but I hope she would have been proud of her student.

We've included pieces she especially loved in the program. The Raduga Children's Choir will also be joining us—continuity between generations is very important to us.

-The concert program is eclectic: from Albinoni's baroque to John Williams's film music and Agadzhikov's classical works. Why such a wide range?

We wanted to showcase the geography of the musical world and the capabilities of a chamber orchestra. This is music from different eras and moods that unites the audience. Judging by the fact that all the invitations were already taken during the rehearsal stage, the audience was yearning for precisely this kind of lively, emotional diversity.

-Even long-established orchestras struggle to fill halls.

-Word of mouth was the key here. It all started back when we were preparing the documents for the new orchestra. Everyone was already aware that something new and interesting was being prepared, and as soon as we released the poster and chose the concert date, literally three or four days before, all the invitations were taken away.

-It seems Melodiya isn't just a name, but a principle of your band's inner harmony. How often do you plan to delight listeners after the premiere?

-We'll try to keep up a good rhythm. We plan to prepare programs for every significant event. After the premiere on February 7, we'll begin rehearsals for the March concert. Of course, it will be dedicated to the March 8 holiday: we'll perform the best works by Turkmen and international composers, and we're also preparing special musical surprises for our guests.

-Thank you for the conversation, and we wish you a successful debut! We're confident that Melodiya will become a vibrant and distinctive voice in the cultural landscape of our capital.

Ayna SHIROVA