The Melodiya Orchestra Opened the New Musical Season in Ashgabat with an Oriental Show
The long-awaited opening of the new musical season in Ashgabat was marked by a vibrant and inspiring event. The Melodiya Orchestra, under the baton of international competition laureate Annaoraz Dovletov, was honored to be the first to confidently launch the new series of autumn musical evenings.
The ensemble presented its new program, "Heart of the East," to the audience. The title proved to be a perfect fit: the musicians not only performed a rich concert program, but also managed to reach the very hearts of every person in the audience. The show generated such an incredible public response and a veritable wave of rave reviews that immediately after the concert, grateful audience members literally inundated the organizers with requests to repeat this unforgettable event in the near future.
As envisioned by the creators and directors, "Heart of the East" is not simply a standard collection of individual concert numbers, but a holistic, deeply thought-out musical and theatrical journey, united by a single artistic thread, through the most picturesque, magical, and culturally rich corners of the Eastern world.
Immersion in this enchanting atmosphere began long before the first celebratory chords sounded in the hall. With remarkable taste and attention to detail, the evening's organizers transformed the foyer and surrounding concert space into a veritable royal chamber from the legendary "A Thousand and One Nights." Magnificent decor, lush draperies, carpets with traditional patterns, and exquisite soft lighting instantly set the guests in a special mood of anticipation. In a specially equipped photo zone, performers in colorful national costumes greeted guests, and everyone could take a memorable photo and feel part of Eastern culture.
The auditorium gradually filled, and the atmosphere of general anticipation and joyful anticipation of the celebration grew stronger with each passing minute. The impatient audience even tried to hasten the arrival of their favorite artists with rhythmic, unanimous applause. Finally, the main lights faded smoothly, and the space was filled with the play of spotlights and laser beams, signaling the beginning of a grand performance.
The first stop of the musical caravan, in keeping with all the laws of Eastern hospitality and centuries-old tradition, took place on native land—Turkmenistan. The evening opened with the composition "Melodies of the Great Silk Road," masterfully and inspiredly performed by guest musicians of the National Instruments Orchestra under the direction of experienced maestro Rakhman Dzhuraev, who also delighted the audience as the solo vocalist.
The first part of the evening's emotional climax was the premiere of a new work by renowned Turkmen composer Ayna Shirova, titled "Dawn of the Motherland." The piece was performed with virtuosity and precision by the Melodiya Orchestra. It set an incredibly high emotional bar for the entire subsequent concert, filling the space with the deep, velvety sounds of string instruments, instantly transporting the listener to the great era of ancient Turkmenistan, with its majestic landscapes, heroic tales, and centuries-old traditions.
The story behind this opus is particularly intriguing: its conception dates back to May 2026, at a recital of the composer's work. At that time, Ayna Shirova offered the audience an interactive game in which the audience, right there in the hall, chose the instruments, the overall character, the genre, and the mood of the future work through live voting. And so, after months of painstaking work, the joint creative vision of the composer and her audience was embodied in a mature, harmonious and beautiful musical canvas, received by the audience with great trepidation.
The Melodiya orchestra's caravan then headed to its neighbors in the region. The immersion into the multifaceted and poetic world of Tajikistan began with a performance of the world-famous and beloved songs "Ey Sanam," "Sumanak," and "Anor Anor." The music was seamlessly complemented by rousing choreographic numbers: dancers in colorful national costumes captivated the audience with the grace and precise movement of each movement.
Without a pause, these smooth lyrical melodies gave way to the fast, captivating rhythms of the legendary "Andijan Polka" and "Lyazgi." These spirited Uzbek dances left a stunning impression on those present. The dancers, with forty traditional braids, performed the most complex steps on stage, and the audience, simply unable to contain their emotions, danced right in their seats and snapped their fingers to the beat of the music, turning the auditorium into a single dance floor.
The next important stop on the tour was sunny Azerbaijan. This part of the program showcased the rich talents of solo vocalists Mansur Sharipov, Humay Kakayeva, and Ogulgerek Sultanmuradova in all their depth and beauty. They performed the popular Faridam compositions with profound feeling and incredible artistry.
A true revelation for many was the heartfelt and touching melody of "Sen Gelmez Oldun," masterfully performed by Kakajan Khudaiberdyev on the duduk. The instrument's velvety, slightly melancholy, enveloping, and enchanting timbre literally stunned the audience. It's worth noting that Kakajan is widely known in professional music circles as a talented multi-instrumentalist: in addition to teaching, he is an excellent saxophonist, clarinetist, and a renowned performer on a wide variety of folk wind instruments.
Kazakhstan was represented by the lyrical compositions "Aynalayyn" and "Kozimin Karasi," which created an incredibly warm, soulful, and homely atmosphere in the hall. Continuing their captivating journey through the picturesque corners of the East, the musicians transported the audience to the cool shores of the Bosphorus. The Turkish compositions "Gunduz Geche" and "Uskudara Giderken" gave everyone in attendance a feeling of a fresh sea breeze, the sound of waves, and the sunlit expanses of the sea.
Immediately following was a vibrant, sincere, and emotional musical greeting from Armenia—the popular song "I Don't Love You" from the Shakhunts Brothers' repertoire. The life-affirming composition "Hay Es Du" represented Armenia's rich culture with dignity and vibrancy.
The Arabic section of the program made an equally powerful, exotic, and profound impression on the guests. From the very first notes of the world-famous hits "Habibi" and "Inta Eykh," the hall seemed to swirl with the warmth of mysterious deserts, endless sand dunes, and leisurely caravans. The rich, multi-layered arrangement and the orchestra's delicate rhythm section conveyed all the amazing magic, spice, and captivating grace of the Arab East, eliciting a storm of applause.
The final chord and climax of the entire concert program was the travelers' symbolic return to their native land. The orchestra, along with a choreographic ensemble, performed the folk dance "Kushtdepdi," sparkling with irrepressible energy. The dancers on stage radiated incredible expression and power, charging everyone in the audience with positive emotions and a sense of pride in their native culture.
Even after the final notes of the concert faded, not a single guest was in a hurry to leave their seats and head for the exit. They stood between the rows, applauded, and chanted for an encore. The Melodiya Orchestra responded with immense joy and gratitude to the audience's sincere love, treating the audience to several more unforgettable moments of musical celebration. This evening demonstrated that true musicians can erase any boundaries between countries and peoples, uniting everyone in a single, bright burst of love for art.
Ayna Yolbarsova
