THE LIVING COMPOSERS PROJECT  

Maral Yakshieva

(b. 25 February 1968, Türkmenabat).

Turkmen composer, now resident in Russia, of mostly chamber works that have been performed in Asia and Europe; she is also active as a pianist.

Ms. Yakshieva studied music theory with Lyudmila Osipova and piano with Konstantin Lykov at the College of Music in Türkmenabat from 1983–87, where she graduated with a diploma of excellence in both subjects. She studied composition with Rejep Allayarov and piano with Orazgul Annamuradova at the National Conservatory of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat from 1988–95 and there graduated with a diploma of excellence in both subjects. She then studied composition with Albert Leman at the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow from 1995–97, on a scholarship from the government of Turkmenistan, where she also studied music psychology with Maria S. Starcheus in 1997–98.

Among her honours are the Magtymguly Pyragy State Scholarship in Ashgabat (1993, for educational excellence), two honorary diplomas from the Ministry of Education in Ashgabat (1993, 1995), a grant from the Open Society Institute in Moscow (1999, to attend a masterclass in Austria), and two grants from the Open Society Institute in Tashkent (1999, 2004, both to attend the annual festival for contemporary music Ilkhom-XX in Tashkent). Her music has been performed in Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

As a pianist, she has performed contemporary music and improvisations in the Czech Republic, Russia and Uzbekistan. She performed as an accompanist at the P. I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatory from 1995–98 and at the M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov State Musical Pedagogical Institute in Moscow in 1998–99.

She taught music theory at the College of Music in Türkmenabat in 1987–88 and taught piano as an assistant teacher at the State Conservatory of Turkmenistan from 1993–95.

She has lived in Russia since 1995.

CONTACT INFORMATION

E-mail address: maral_@hotmail.com

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL:

Concertino, piano, orchestra, 1995

Allegro concertato, violin, orchestra, 1997

CHAMBER MUSIC:

Quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1995

Trio, violin, cello, piano, 1996

Kokorono ugokiMovement of the Soul, percussion, 2000

Reflection and Burlesque, clarinet, 2001

Stomatology, soprano saxophone, piano, fixed media, 2004

CHORAL:

Frivolous Songs (song-cycle, texts by unknown poets from Japan [translated by Vera Markova]), mixed chorus, 1999

VOCAL:

Interpretations of Turkmen Folk Melodies (texts from folksongs from Turkmenistan), soprano, piano, 1995

Romances (song-cycle, text by Igor Severyanin), soprano, piano, 1995

Romance (text by Dulce María Loynaz [translated by Viktor Andreyev]), baritone, piano, 1995

Romance (text by an unknown poet from Japan [translated by Vera Markova]), baritone, piano, 2000

PIANO:

Sogdiana, 2005