Between Music and Words: Aina Shirova's "Solo on Two Keyboards" Has Been Published
Music and journalism are two elements that have found common ground in the work of composer and art historian Aina Shirova. The culmination of this long-standing "double play" (as the author describes her combination of two professions) is a voluminous 516-page work entitled "Solo on Two Keyboards: From Piano to Computer."
The collection spans a five-year period (2021–2026) and represents a kind of chronicle of the country's cultural life. Introductions to the publication were written by iconic figures in Turkmen art: People's Artist of Turkmenistan, Artistic Director of the Mukam Violin Ensemble, Harold Neimark, and Honored Artist and composer, Jeren Kurbanklycheva. Their participation underscores the professional weight of the materials collected under one cover.
The book also reveals a small publishing secret: behind the pseudonym "Yolbarsova" and other literary masks, whose articles were read by culture lovers, it was Aina Shirova who was hiding all these years.
The material is structured for the reader's convenience: it includes in-depth interviews with masters of the stage, essays and creative portraits of contemporaries, concert reports, and reflections on art.
The publication is supplemented with illustrations, transforming the book into a comprehensive navigator through the cultural landscape of Turkmenistan. According to the author, the first print run sold out almost instantly among the professional community and fans, necessitating the preparation of a second edition.
The book "Solo on Two Keyboards" is the author's attempt to reach the public without the "make-up," bringing together legendary figures and personal creative explorations under one cover. Her virtuoso mastery of "two keyboards"—musical and textual—is now documented.
