Finalist of 2004 International
Web Concert Hall Competition
Kairy Koshoeva (KYRGYZSTAN)
 Tell
us about your musical background.
I grew up among the
children of four and my older sister plays the piano. I started the
piano at seven years old and my older sister helped me mostly. My parents love
music and they have always supported my musical endeavors any way they
can. I began to study piano
at Mukash Abdrayev, a music school for gifted children in my native
Kyrgyzstan. I studied there for 11 years before leaving to study at the
Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow, Russia. I received both my
Bachelor and Master of Music degree at the Gnessin Academy.
Later, I received an Artist Diploma from the Oberlin Conservatory of
Music, Ohio.
What do you do now?
Currently, I am studying at University of
Missouri in Kansas City, working towards the Doctor of Musical Art
Degree. I also teach part-time at the Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA)
Community School of Art.
What plans do you
have within next 3 years?
Although I plan is to finish my Doctor of
Musical Art Degree (DMA), I hope to have a full concert schedule.
About your teachers. Who were your
teachers? And how some of your teachers influenced you as a musician?
My first teachers Bella Zubok, Faina
Kharmatz and Michael Burshtin (who now lives in Israel) have given me a
lot of encouragement along with building solid technique. They also gave me
an
opportunity to study at a famous Russian school in Moscow. Vera Nossina
my teacher from the Gnessin Academy of Music helped me to think about
styles in music and performance. Monique Duphil (at the Oberlin
Conservatory), former student of legendary Margarita Long, gave me
something from the French piano school which has special sense of tone
and sound. She also helped me to begin the process of maturing as an
artist. Dr. Robert Weirich (at UMKC) is helping me to think more about
the form, structure and analysis of musical works, and to continue to
become more independent and rely on my own artistic judgment.
 I
recently attended master classes in Weimar, Germany with Lazar Berman.
His encouragement is a powerful influence. His suggestions, given in a
creative and collegial atmosphere, were inspiring and have confirmed my
belief in myself as an artist. In addition to my teachers, I have
received a lot of help and encouragement from President of Kyrgyzstan, Askar
Akaev and the First Lady Mairam Akaeva. I am very grateful to the President
and the First Lady for all their support and encouragement throughout
my music career. As a part of their love of classical music, they
supported me with scholarships and performances in different parts of
the world. They have even written very kind words about me in their
books.
(President of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akaev and the First Lady, Mairam Akaeva)
What period of music
do you enjoy playing most and why?
I can’t really name one single period as my
favorite. I like Baroque, Classical, Impressionistic and Romantic
works. Mozart was my first love. I came to Bach later and he quickly
became my new favorite. Later, Chopin’s beautiful and endless melodies
stole my heart, but it is Rachmaninov who speaks to my soul.
In your opinion,
what is your strength in your playing?
I find this question difficult, because I
think this question is for my audiences and teachers to answer.
What do you hope to
accomplish as a musician?
I hope to perform
and share my music with audiences around the world.
Have you received
any honors or awards?
Last year, I was
fortunate enough to be named Honored Artist of Kyrgyzstan. Recently, I
was awarded the Rachmaninov Medal by the International Academy of Fine
Arts.
 How
did you hear about the Web Concert Hall and why did you select
particular pieces for the competition?
I found out about the Web
Concert Hall on the Internet through search engine. I selected "Rachmaninoff" for the
competition because I am told that it reveals my strengths. I think it
reveals my soul... and. it was my recent Compact Disk.
Do you like any
other forms of art? Such as painting? A favorite writes? Tell us about
it.
I like visual arts,
particularly painting and sculpture from the past. I like Claude Monet,
Vincent Van Gogh, and Salvador Dali. My favorite contemporary artist is
Jim Leedy. I am also an avid reader in
Kyrgyz, Russian and English languages. My favorites include: Chingiz
Aitmatov, Anton Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, D.H. Lawrence and
Charlotte Bronte.
What do you like to
read?
I like to read both
fiction and non-fiction, and as you can see from my previous and
following responses, I have a wide taste in reading.
What are some of
your recent readings?
I just finished It's
Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong and
Sally Jenkins. I was interested to read how Lance's strong personality
helped him to survive. Now, I am reading Women in Love by D.H.
Lawrence.
What do you do for
hobby?
In my spare time I like
to read, swim, walk, and listen to music, and I love to spend time with
my friends.
What do you hope to
achieve ten years from now in your music career?
Ten years ago, I could
never have imagined that I would be where I am today. I would hope that
in ten years I will have a home, a family and thriving concert career,
and maybe have several students, but who knows what the future will
bring.
Do you have any
musical project(s) that you are currently working on?
As I mentioned in the
section on teaching, I am involved with KCYA, a community project to
introduce young people to classical music. I am putting together a
group to play a chamber music and plans are in progress for major
concerts in St.Petersburg, Russia and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
What are the
characteristics of good performer?
Naturally, I expect a
high level of professionalism, but musical honesty is most important to
me.
How do you judge a
good performance?
I can answer best by
explaining what I said above. One can hear from the first note whether
an artist has sufficient professional background. Does Chopin sound like
Chopin or like Liszt? But even more importantly, the artists must
reveal something of their soul, their personality. Brilliance is not
enough. They have to show you that they have taken the music into their
soul and are giving it back to you from their heart.
Interviewed by
MusicalOnline on October, 2004
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