Summer Symphony: Ashgabat Revived the Music Festival Tradition
On June 21, one of the longest and warmest summer days, a wonderful event took place in a cozy courtyard in Ashgabat. It was filled with a captivating atmosphere, woven from enchanting sounds, ringing children's voices, and genuine smiles. On this special evening, the venue celebrated the International Music Festival—an event rooted in French cultural traditions but invariably resonating with people around the world.
This year, the management of the MLF French School made the long-awaited decision to extend this festival, which is held annually around the world on the summer solstice, not only to students and their parents, but also to the residents of the capital. To celebrate, the festive concert was held twice—on the school premises and outside.
The gala concert opened with an incredibly moving performance by the MLF French School Children's Choir. The young performers took the audience on a true vocal journey. Representing elementary, middle, and college students, they demonstrated remarkable linguistic and cultural diversity, performing complex pieces in three languages—French, English, and Russian.
The evening's program was composed with impeccable taste and featured renowned international masterpieces from various eras and genres. The children performed Jean-Jacques Goldman's legendary hit "Carry Me Away" and the luminous composition "He Played the Piano Standing Up" from the repertoire of the renowned France Gall—a song dedicated by its composer, Michel Berger, to the American singer Jerry Lee Lewis. The college students performed the song "The Marionettes" in an original a cappella rendition, gracefully accompanied by expressive pantomime.
The audience was transfixed by Charles Aznavour's immortal lines from the song "The Comedians" and a dramatic, emotional excerpt from Gérard Presgurvick's celebrated French musical "Romeo and Juliet." This highly complex number was performed by the brother and sister duo Charbel and Véronique Farès. Their sincere and profound reading of the material brought tears to many of the guests in the hall, touching the most delicate strings of the soul.
The relaxed, sunny rhythms of Bob Marley's legendary English composition "Three Little Birds" brought a sudden and striking contrast to the program. The older generation of guests couldn't help but smile with nostalgia as the familiar and heartfelt song from the beloved Soviet film "Where Does Childhood Go?" sung in Russian by students of a French school rang out over the stage.
Among the many vibrant numbers in the song section, the audience particularly remembered the vibrant performance by teacher Rita Fares. She entered the audience to the hypnotic sounds of the oriental darbuka, singing a solo in Arabic, instantly captivating the audience with the power, depth of her vocals, and the captivating energy of the East.
The success of the MLF School Children's Choir would not have been possible without the reliable and professional support of its musicians. Along with choir director Aina Shirova, the MLF French School ensemble was accompanied by talented and renowned Ashgabat performers: Nizam Kasimi (accordion), Kakajan Khudaiberdyev (saxophone and darbuka), and Aziz Azizov (violin). Their masterful instrumental accompaniment created a solid and harmonious foundation for each vocal number.
The striking coherence, rare singing, and high artistry of all the choir members are truly remarkable. The children sang with surprising confidence, demonstrating a level close to professional. Anyone familiar with music will recognize that learning a dozen songs, both vocally and rhythmically complex, in three completely different languages in such a short period of time is a colossal, titanic undertaking.
However, the young singers mastered all the challenges brilliantly. They demonstrated impeccable phrasing, confidently sustained long notes, and a keen sense of dynamic nuances and musical nuances. The young singers followed the intricate rhythms precisely, made timely entrances, and consistently maintained a high-quality performance throughout the evening, filling the space with a dense, beautiful, and truly noble sound.
After the impressive choral section, the French School's concert program never lost its creative intensity, seamlessly transitioning to instrumental performances. It was time for solo and ensemble performances, where these young talents were able to reveal a completely new, unexpected side.
Familiar to the public, Charbel and Véronique Farès returned to the stage to demonstrate their multifaceted skill and mastery of various instruments. They performed masterfully beautiful pieces on the saxophone (Besame mucho by C. Velázquez) and violin (Little Story by J. Block), making the audience once again admire their natural talent.
Young school choir volunteer Melissa Tribunskaya, who had recently sung beautifully alongside the rest of the ensemble, took the piano and performed Ludovico Einaudi's celebrated, captivating piece "Experience," immersing the audience in the meditative world of contemporary neoclassical music.
The instrumental baton was picked up by a guitar trio consisting of Didar Muradov, Nazar Sultanov, and Tylla Shirova. The musicians presented the well-known lyrical piece "Secret Garden," captivating the audience with their soft, enveloping strumming. Following this, talented pianist Tylla Shirova brilliantly and inspiredly performed a highly complex, virtuoso solo program on the piano. Her fingers literally flew across the keys, recreating great masterpieces of world and national classics.
She performed Ludwig van Beethoven's "Pathétique Sonata" in a monumental manner, followed by the deep and bright "Nocturne" by Frederic Chopin, and concluded this musical block with the colorful and expressive work "Sounds of the Dutar" by the outstanding Turkmen composer Nury Khalmamedov.
The festival continued to offer guests unforgettable discoveries. Young musician Nazar Sultanov delivered an incredibly emotional performance of the famous "Love Story" theme on the saxophone, transporting the audience to romantic memories. The final chord of this rich program, prepared by the musical director of the French School, was a performance by Jeyran Ismailova. She performed Claude Debussy's playful and playful "Doll Cake Walk" on the piano, then moved on to sublime classical music, playing Frédéric Chopin's famous "Waltz," thus bringing a graceful conclusion to the beautiful musical narrative from the MLF French School team.
The musical evening continued with performances by other musicians, who took turns on stage. An important and most vibrant tradition of the World Music Festival has always been the "open stage." This means that anyone could come out and share their creativity with the audience.
Among the evening's performers were vocalists and amateur musicians, and guests happily entertained the audience with karaoke. This revived tradition demonstrated that sincere, vibrant, and multicultural musical art can transcend boundaries and unite people of all ages, professions, and nationalities.
Aina Yolbarsova
