"Initially, I didn't like the instrument at all. Close relations with the bassoon began to be established gradually," says Olzhas Ashirmatov, a Kazakhstan musician, a member of the Double Reeds World Bassoonists Association. What helped him most in his studies was not "perseverance and work", on which probably 99% of performers rely, but excitement.

In 1999, 11-year-old Olzhas won the children's singing competition "Asia Dauysy", and in the same year, he was chosen to perform from Kazakhstan in Warsaw, at the congress of the first ladies of the world, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Protection of Children's Rights. Since then, the little musician returned to the instrument.

"I was motivated by my parents. They said: you are sitting here by doing nothing, someone is now in Brazil or in Australia at this time, and you will lose to him," Olzhas laughs. Since then, he has become a laureate of many competitions, including the Republican Competition of Young performers on wind and percussion instruments (I prize, Almaty, 2004), the International Competition of Wind and Percussion Instruments "Shabyt" (II prize, Astana, 2005), the International Competition of Wind Instruments (II Prize, Novosibirsk, 2005), as well as the First Republican contest of performers on woodwind instruments named after Batyrkhan Shukenova (I Prize, Almaty, 2018). The musician speaks about the latter with special warmth: "Instruments such as the oboe, bassoon, clarinet, flute remain in the shadow of the piano, violin, cello. And I think that this competition is a very good impetus in the development of wind performance skills."

However, let us return to the story of the bassoon. In 1998, Olzhas's parents brought him from Zhanatas, where he grew up, to Almaty to enroll in the Akhmet Zhubanov Republican Music School for gifted children. "It was August 30, all the exams had already ended, but my mother probably went around all the teachers there, persuading them to listen to me: "You won't regret it!". And I was accepted to the class of the only "free" instrument — the bassoon," says our interlocutor. - At that time, I really wanted to get on the piano and did not even know that there was such an instrument - the bassoon. When I first picked it up and blew it, it quacked like a duck. I was very disappointed, but I had no choice. However, as they say, from hatred to love is one step - I fell in love with the bassoon with the help of my teachers Yuri Lukichev and Nurtas Aigalkaev."

By the 9th grade, Olzhas firmly knew that he wanted to continue studying only with the best bassoon teacher in the world, Doug Jensen. The excitement and skill of winning contests came in handy for him: "There were 24 participants from all over the world for two places at the Hanover University of Music, Theater and Media: Japan, China, America, France, Belgium... However, they took an Austrian person and me. I studied for free." However, it was not without "adventures" here either: the music school graduate did not have a certificate in German required for enrollment — he simply did not know German.

"My professor Doug Jensen begged the university administration to give me a year, promising that I would learn the language," the musician recalls.- Starting from scratch, after 9 months I have already passed the B2 level. Now I speak four languages: Kazakh, Russian, German, and English."

After two courses in Hanover, the Kazakh continued his studies at the Munich Conservatory (Hochschule für Musik und Theater München). The education received at a European university, which is in the top 10, according to Olzhas Ashirmatov, helps him a lot in his career.

"Our maestro, Theodor Currentzis, looks first of all at education, then at performing skills. This simplifies his work: he does not need to explain much to the orchestra members. For example, if we perform baroque music, then everyone knows from their studies that this is the music of the era of the general bass*. Or if we play a classical symphony, then, as a rule, it is a sonata form **, - our interlocutor switches to the "musical" language. - Currentzis has gathered such musicians who do not need to say much, a few words — and you are already playing."

Olzhas Ashirmatov is referring to the creator and artistic director of the orchestra musicAeterna ("eternal music" from Latin). Originally from the Greek capital of Athens, Theodor Currentzis made a career in Russia: for a long time he was the chief conductor of the Novosibirsk Opera Theater (where he founded his own orchestra and choir), directed the Opera and Ballet Theater in Perm. Currentzis is also known in Europe: he is the chief conductor of the Southwest Radio Symphony Orchestra of Germany, collaborates with such renowned orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg Chamber Orchestra, etc. In 2019, the maestro moved musicAeterna to St. Petersburg, making it an independent project. The orchestra exists on the money of sponsors and income from concert activities and, as Ashirmatov emphasizes, does not receive any state support. The orchestra has a contract with one of the labels of the "big three" of the music industry - Sony Classical.

Today, music Aeterna is a band in demand at festivals and tours, famous for performing ancient music. The line-up includes performers from 12 countries (Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Belarus, etc.), who perform in the legendary theaters of Vienna, Madrid, Milan, New York, Baden-Baden and Cologne.

"We are the only band that has not stopped touring," the interlocutor justifies his commitment to the orchestra. - In 2022 we had several tours to Germany and Austria. This year we played in Spain, we will go to China soon. After the New Year we are going to Spain again." Olzhas Ashirmatov explains that the attitude towards the Russian team did not deteriorate after the outbreak of the war, not only by the international composition, but also by the careful selection of performers. "The orchestra has selected people from all over the world, all soloists. If they see an extra-class musician, they listen to him and offer this or that position. Even from the end of the console violins can be asked to play a solo, and anyone will play great without any preparation, " says the bassoonist.

Theodor Currentzis noticed Ashirmatov himself at the Diaghilev Festival and invited him to audition. Olzhas, worried about the world star, played his favorite Mozart without preparation - and immediately got a contract. Besides him, four other Kazakhstanis play in musicAeterna: Talgat Sarsembayev — bassoon, Arman Surtaev — trombone, Zhasulan Abdykalykov — trumpet, Rabbani Aldangor — cello. Ashirmatov has the position of a soloist-regulator. "I can play different parts, be a soloist and a third bassoon. A universal soldier, you might say," the interlocutor tries to use understandable words.

Kazakhstanis, according to Olzhas, are appreciated in the music world: "Our musicians show themselves worthily in the music arena, win serious competitions. Everyone knows that we have theaters, a conservatory, a philharmonic hall."

After graduating from the Conservatory, Ashirmatov himself worked as a soloist-regulator of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra at the Kazakh State Philharmonic named after Zhambyl from 2017 to 2019.

Olzhas has never thought of changing his passport, he is very attached to his homeland, his family, and his home in Almaty. But the musician is not going to leave musicAeterna yet: he has good relations in the orchestra, there is room for creative development. Olzhas's dream is to play baroque music on a real old bassoon, and right now the orchestra is launching a historical program, and he will have a chance to fulfill his wish.

* General bass is a special musical and technological technique associated with the art of improvisation and composing music in the XVII—XVIII centuries. The general bass, otherwise called the "digital bass", was a conditional recording of the accompaniment to the upper voice — melody, each bass note was accompanied by a digital designation indicating which harmony was meant in this place.

**A sonata is a form based on the juxtaposition of two themes that, when first presented, contrast both thematically and tonally (I theme — in the main key, II theme — in the subordinate), and after development, both are repeated in the main key, that is, tonally converge.

 

Tatiana Panchenko