Tolib Shakhidi

File:Shakhidi.jpg

Tolib Shakhidi

Tolib-khon Shakhidi (Толиб-хон Шахиди) or Tolib Shahidi (Tajik: Толиб Шаҳидӣ/Persian: طالب شهیدی‎‎, born 13 March 1946) is a Tajik, Russian, and Soviet composer who was born in the city of Dushanbe, Tajik SSR. He is a son of the founder of Professional Tajik Academic Music - Ziyodullo Shakhidi.

Tolib-khon Shakhidi began his musical career at the age of fourteen. He graduated from the Musical College in Dushanbe in 1965 from the Composition Class of Uri Ter-Osipov. In the same year, he entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. During his student years in Moscow, he strove to be at the centre of musical activities. Conductors such as Mikhail Terion and Maxim Shostakovich performed his orchestral and instrumental compositions.

In 1972 Tolib Shakhidi graduated from the Moscow Conservatory from the class of Aram Khachaturian. 'Tolib, your time is precious,' wrote the famous master on Shakhidi's graduation photograph – and since then, this has become the composer's fundamental belief both in life and in his creative work.

From 1972 to this day, Tolib Shakhidi has participated in a number of music festivals and has striven to produce innovative and powerful compositions. His music attempts to create a synthesis between East and West. His brilliant understandings of orchestration and familiarity with different musical styles have firmly established him in the contemporary music scene.

Working in a number of different genres, including theatre and cinema, Shakhidi's compositions often serve as the vehicle for the musical representation of intensely powerful plays. Drawing inspiration from playwrights such as Sophocles and Shakespeare, Shakhidi's compositions capture the listener's imagination much as a dramatic representation would. A master of different genres, including operas, ballets, symphonies and instrumental compositions, his work represents a unique fusion of the very best of the European and Asian musical traditions. He is a contemporary artist, whose world outlook transcends national boundaries. In this capacity, he regularly participates and has a great success in International festivals of Contemporary Music in Europe and U.S. (1987, 2001), in Japan, Baltic States, Central Asia, Iran and Turkey. The musical pieces of the composer have been performed by such orchestras as Philadelphia & Boston Symphony Orchestra, State Symphonic Orchestra of USSR, Orchestra of Valery Gergiev, Bolshoy Symphonic Orchestra of Russia n.a. Tchaikovsky, Orchestra of Cinematography conducted by Sergei Skripka, Saint Petersburg State Philharmonic Orchestra n.a Dmitri Shostakovich. Musicians such as cello performer Yo Yo Ma, violinist Sergey Kravtchenko and French saxophone player Pierre Stephane Meuge have performed the music of the master. He also has worked with conductors among which are Maxim Shostakovich, Dmitry Kitaenko, Charles Ansbacher, Mark Ermler, Sergey Skripka, Michael Terian, Dzhansug Kakhidze, Vladimir Kozhukhar, Valery Gergiev, Zakhid Khaknazarov, Eldar Azimov and Bijan Khadem-Missagh.

"Taste, intellect, professionalism are the three main values of contemporary music" (). This aphorism, expressed by the composer fully complies with his own creative work. Tolib Shahidi represents a very rare type of Universal master-composer, who possesses the whole arsenal of contemporary musical language, yet uses the richest resources of traditional Eastern music of his region. This twin pillar is not an obstacle, but the most important source of his artistic power and originality.

List of major works:

• 1975 - «Festival»—symphonic poem
• 1978 - «Death of usurer»—suite of ballet
• 1978 - «Tajiks»—symphony N 2
• 1980 - «Rubai of Khaiam»—film ballet
• 1981 - "Charkh" - symphony for chamber orchestra
• 1981 - Sonata N 1 for piano
• 1981 - «Recitative of Rumi»—suite for flute and piano
• 1984 - «Sado»—symphonic poem
• 1988 - «Caliph-stork»—operas for children
• 1989 - «Karlic-nose»—operas for children
• 1989 - «Beauty yosif» - ballet
• 1991 - Sonata N 2 for piano
• 1991 - Sonata N 2 for piano and chamber orchestra
• 1992 - «Siavush»—ballet,
• 1993 - «Beauty and Monster»—opera
• 1993 - Concert for violin and chamber orchestra
• 1994 - Concert N 3 for piano and orchestra
• 1997 - Concert N 1 for string orchestra,
• 1998 - «Firdavsiada»—concert N 2 for string orchestra
• 1998 - «Sufi-dancer»—music for 15 instruments
• 1998 - «Istanbul-capriccio»—for saxophone and chamber orchestra.
• 1999 - «Dobro vam»—vocal cycle for tenor and symphonic orchestra. Poems of Hofiz, Gete, Pushkin
• 1999 - «Amir Ismoil»—opera
• 2000 - «Silk road dreams dancing» — septet
• 2000 - «Pictures under moon» for R. Finn poem. Soprano and chamber orchestra
• 2001 - «Algorismus marimba + » — sixtet
• 2001 - «Contrasts in 55»
• 2001 - «Contrasts»—music for violin and piano
• 2002 - «King Lear»—music for tragedy of Shakespeare
• 2002 - «Persian Suite»—music for string orchestra
• 2002 - «Sufi and Budha»—pictures etude for piano
• 2004 - «Concerto Grosso N3»—for santur violino solo and chamber orchestra
• 2005 - «Contrast of times» — vocal cycle for soprano and symphonic orchestra, words of Pole Valery and Rekan
• 2007 - «Birds talking»—suite for three flute
• 2008 - «Adagio»—for violoncello - solo in remembrance of Aram Khachaturian
• 2008 - Allegro IN 5»— for chamber ensemble
• 2008 - Four retro miniature for chorus A- Capella in remembrance of Ziyodullo Shakhidi
• 2008 - "Playing Backgammon" - for piano
• 2009 - VERDI-SHAKHIDI - parafraz, for piano from opera Traviata
• 2010 - Concert for clarinet and orchestra
• 2011 - Quartet for 4 cello - from Indian Raga
• 2012 - "Darius" - Pictures for Symphonic Orchestra
• 2012 - Adagio - Existence - for string orchestra
• 2013 - Rhapsody Dialogue: Theme of Aram Khachaturian for piano and orchestra

List of CDs published:

• "Gergiev-Shakhidi" - Valery Gergiev, London Symphony Orchestra & Mariinsky Theatre (2012),
• "Movie Music & Existence" - various music written for movies and theatre between 1969-2008 (2004),
• Concert featuring works of Tolibkhon Shakhdi, Live (2006),
• CD featuring works of Tolibkhon Shakhidi. Symphonic Music (2004),
• Symphonic music and ballet extracts (2002),
• Great Hall of Moscow State Conservatoire, Author Concert (1999),
• Symphonic music (1997)
• Anthology of piano music by Russian and Soviet composers, vol.7 (2014), Melodija

See also

• List of composers
• Music of Tajikistan

External links

• Official website
• BBC Persian