A Journey Through Epochs

On Wednesday 2nd March the South-Ural Symphony Orchestra will embark on the first of two collaborations at the Symphonic Middle East Festival with their Chief Conductor – the renowned Russian artist Adik Abdurakhmanov. In a concert organised by CMDI Group and SAMIT Event Group, with the support of the European Foundation for Support of Culture (EUFSC), the orchestra will be joined by Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, multiple-competition winner, acclaimed professor and jury member of many international competitions, Korean cellist Meehae Ryo, to present a programme brimming with some of the most famous works in world music. Beginning with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme — a work written for, and in partnership with, his friend and colleague Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, amd one which exhibits a nostalgic love-letter to a perceived lost innocence — the concert then moves to Edvard Grieg's famous Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, a piece which initially began as incidental music to the Henrik Ibsen play bearing the same name before Grieg decided to extract eight movements from the original score to create two four-movement suites more than a decade later. The first of these, in particular, has gone on to transcend concert halls to become known and recognised the world over, with its first movement (“Morning Mood”), and fourth movement (“In the Hall of the Mountain King”), both achieving significant renown. The orchestra shall then close off the concert with a rendition of Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, also known as the “Italian”, which has its origins in the composer’s travels to Italy in 1830. First performed in London on 13 May 1833 under Mendelssohn’s own direction, the work has given fire to audience’s imaginations ever since, transporting them to the beautiful shores from where the conductor himself found his inspiration.

Programme:

P. Tchaikovsky

Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33

E. Grieg

Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46

-- Intermission --

F. Mendelssohn

Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90

Adik Abdurakhmanov

The Artistic director and Chief conductor of the South-Ural Symphonic Orchestra of the Chelyabinsk Philharmonic

Adik Abdurakhmanov, the Honoured Artist of Russia, the holder of the state award - Order of Merit for Country of the II Degree, a graduate of the Saint-Petersburg State Conservatory and the Ural State Conservatory, is a founder , artistic director and chief conductor of the Klassika Chamber Orchestra (1994-2019) and the South-Ural Symphonic Orchestra (since 2019).

As a soloist and a conductor he has toured in Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania. He has become the first in the country to play some pieces of contemporary composers including ones composed specially for the Klassika Chamber orchestra created by Adik Abdurakhmanov. The conductor collaborates with Hibla Gerzmava, Denis Matsuev, Boris Berezovsky, Nikolay Lugansky, Dmitry Shishkin, Miroslav Kultyshev, Pavel Milyukov, Philipp Kopachevskiy, Alexander Ramm, Graf Murzha, Borislav Strulev, Aidar Gaynullin, Alyona Baeva, as well as musicians from Austria, the USA, France, Germany, South Korea and many others.

Adik Abdurakhmanov is the artistic director of the Chelyabinsk branch of the Noviye Imena International Charity Foundation. The Foundation supports talented young musicians. Being a conductor, Adik Abdurakhmanov contributes a lot to making the South-Ural Symphonic Orchestra one of the main symbols of the region. In order to achieve this goal he has initiated and headed a series of social and educational projects aimed at making the public familiar with the masterpieces of the world symphonic music. Among them are ’20 Music Masterpieces that Have Changed the World’, ‘Days of Austria in South Ural’, ‘The Triumph of the Classical Music’, ‘Fairy-tales with the Great Orchestra’ and many others. The South Ural Symphonic Orchestra headed by Adik Abdurakhmanov participates in many significant musical events and festivals; has elaborated several concert series. Thanks to the culture of the sound, masterly harmony in playing, rich musical palette, the Orchestra has always been in the centre of the cultural life of the region.

Apart from all these activities Adik Abdurakhmanov is the Head of the Chair of String, Wind and Percussion instruments of the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture, professor. Adik Abdurakhmanov’s artistic and teaching work has deserved wide public recognition and respect of the professional community, helped to form new generation of professional musicians of South Ural. He has won the gratitude of V. Spivakov’s International Charity Foundation, the Noviye Imena International Charity Program, the Union of the Russian Composers. In 2017 Adik Abdurakhmanov was named “The Honourable Citizen of Chelyabinsk’.

Meehae Ryo

Cello

Cellist Meehae Ryo’s breathtaking technical virtuosity and captivating melody puts her as the most recognized cellist in the Republic of Korea. She endeavours to play music, which makes both herself and her audiences happy. Meehae has earned high praises for her top-notch performances. Some of the highlight of her performance includes a trio with pianist Martha Argerich, and a double concerto the famous violinist Schlomo Mintz.

At the young age of six, Meehae had her first cello lesson. She has won all national competitions, stirring her ambition to study abroad in order to grow her musical abilities in the best musical school. She accepted a place at Julliard School at the age of sixteen, then completed her studies with DMA degree at the University of Michigan, preparing her to become a true musician.

She is one of the most preferred cellists, performing with numerous orchestras, such as the Berliner Symphony Orchestra, Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Israel Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Roma Symphony Orchestra and more. With them, she stood in some of the most well-known concert halls, including Musikverein Golden Hall, Verdi Hall, Hercules Hall, Smetana Hall, Dvorak Hall, Liszt Hall, Carnegie Hall, Auditorium della conciliazione and Berliner Philharmonie Hall.

In 2013, Meehae recorded and released her album through Deutsche Grammophon, where she recorded Saint-Saëns and Elgar cello concerto. Previously, she has also released two albums with SONY Entertainment in which she recorded with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra under maestro Vladimir Valek as the conductor, and with Cosmopolitan Trio as a member.

Meehae did not limit herself as a concert artist, but also participated in several competitions as a jury member. Till now, she has judged in the Khachaturian International competition, Antonio Janigro International Competition, Belgrade International Jeunesse competition, Beethoven International competition in Czech Republic, to name a few.

She is also one of most respected professors in Republic of Korea. Based on her personal experiences, she not only teaches them techniques needed to play cello, but also about life as a cellist. She has been invited to give master classes in some of the most renowned music schools such as Vienna University, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Kazakhstan Conservatory of Music.

Currently, she is living in Vienna, Austria. She is actively performing over 30 concerts a year as a concert cellist and holds the title of Artistic Director of IMK (www.schwingungen.at).

Symphony Orchestra

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