Almaty sixth-grade music student and violinist Malika Bekturova recently won the eighth Alexander Glazunov International Competition of Violinists and Cellists in Paris.
The competition was held in the concert hall of the Paris Conservatoire and attracted about 50 participants from England, Belgium, Georgia, Kazakhstan, China, Latvia, Uzbekistan, France and South Korea.
Kazakh musicians participated in the competition for the first time this year. The competition’s jury awarded Bekturova, a student at the National Kulyash Baisseitova Music School, first place and Nargis Mamedova, a student at the same school, third place.
“It was a real celebration of music with a magical atmosphere! I’ve got a lot of memories and made friends with people from different countries. In the future, I dream of becoming a professional artist, such as violin virtuosos Marat Bisengaliyev and Maxim Vengerov, and to glorify Kazakhstan on the world’s best stages,” Bekturova said.
Bekturova first appeared on stage at the age of seven and has since won numerous international competitions in Astana and Almaty. Since the start of her performing career, she has amazed violin masters, such as Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Professor Vladislav Igolinsky.
“This time, she amazed French maestros from the higher music schools of Paris. Malika so immaculately performed a large programme of plays, exercises and solo concerts that the audience gave her a standing ovation, shouting ‘Bravo’,” said her violin teacher Kuralai Akhmetova.
Akhmetova added that Bekturova represented Kazakhstan well and demonstrated the virtuosity of Kazakh musicians is on par with recognised European violin schools.
As a reward for her virtuosity, the competition’s organisers invited Bekturova to an international summer seminar, during which violin masters will give lessons and the young musicians will perform.
