On Wednesday, April 29, at 7:00 PM, one of today's brightest and most sought-after percussionists, Emīls Kujumdžujans, will perform at the concert "Turkish Impressions and Steve Reichs" in the "Latvija" concert, performing his musical autobiography "ISTANBUL - Roots".
Born in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, Emil Kuyumcuyan (Emil Kuyumcuyan) is a percussionist, composer and electronic music artist with Croatian, Greek, Armenian and African roots. Anatolian music (Turkish traditional music) combined with jazz and modern academic music have strongly shaped his identity as a musician and his performance language. “ISTANBUL – the roots” is a city-inspired multimedia performance in which percussion and electronic sounds intertwine with impressive projections. It is a project from Emil’s heart – an autobiographical story in which he explores his identity, origins and the complex nature of his native Istanbul.
"This is a relatively rare occasion when we manage to bring such a high-level percussion solo artist as Emīls Kujumdžujans to Latvia. A laureate of many competitions, a highly sought-after artist with his own special style, which combines Eastern folkloric and Western academic. A very special performer," describes the musician, the concert's artistic director Guntars Freibergs.
Emil Kujumdzhuyan began his musical career at the age of 12, first learning to play the trombone, but soon discovered his passion for percussion instruments. The path to international recognition was opened for the musician by winning the prestigious “Tromp International Percussion” competition in the Netherlands, but currently he is a sought-after soloist and has collaborated with many world-famous ensembles – “Ensemble Modern” (Germany), “Asko|Schönberg” (Netherlands), the French National Symphony Orchestra, the French Radio Chorus and the Paris Opera, the Degu Symphony Orchestra (South Korea) and others. Kujumdzhuyan is not only a sought-after performer, but also a recognized composer, having received commissions from, for example, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Baden-Württemberg Art Foundation, the Shanghai International Percussion Competition and the Stuttgart World Marimba Competition.
The second part of the concert “Turkish Impressions and Steve Reich” will feature percussionists Guntars Freibergs, Edgars Zaurs (Latvia), Pāvels Ginters (Pavel Günter, Lithuania), Sigits Gailiu (Sigita Gailius, Lithuania) and pianists Paulius Andersons (Paulius Anderson, Lithuania) and Rihards Plešanovs (Latvia). The musicians will perform two pieces by American composer Steve Reich (Steve Reich) large-format works – “Quartet” for two vibraphones and two pianos, as well as “Sextet” for four percussionists and two pianists – pieces that challenge artists with their scope and scale, but offer listeners a rich, magnificent, and impression-filled experience.
The concert is organized by SIA “Kurzemes filharmonija” with the support of Ventspils City Municipality and the State Cultural Capital Foundation. Tickets for the concert can be purchased at all “Biļešu paradīze” sales outlets and at the box office of the “Latvija” concert hall.
Photography and video recording are possible during the event. The obtained materials will be used for publicity purposes of the event, on the website and social media accounts of the concert hall "Latvija"..
