THE QUEEN OF VIOLIN

The violinist Umida Abasova is 25 years old, she lives and works in Baku. For 15 years of her concert life, she has traveled 30 countries as a soloist of internationally recognised orchestras. She is a laureate of the republican and the international competition Don Vincenzo Viti in Italy. Bachelor and Master of Arts, Umida is currently studying to receive a doctoral degree. She works at the school for gifted children named after Bulbul, teaches violin, leads a chamber ensemble and is also the accompanist of the youth chamber orchestra at the Baku Music Academy. In the music world, she is considered a talented person, God's chosen one.

- It seems that you can easily manage both teaching and concerts abroad. Is this true?

- Of course, I have to work but it seems that nature itself has invested in me everything necessary for playing the violin. I am obliged to my mother, who has always supported me, inspired me and made me what I am now.

- Tell us about your ensemble, the quintet made of the students of your music school. How is it composed?

- This is not quite an ordinary ensemble of five people - two violins, a viola, cello and double bass. I play one of the violins. We play without a conductor, the ensemble sounds like a soft, slender chorus. Let's see how experts evaluate our performance.

- You have visited Italy many times and could already fell in love with this country. Have you managed to visit the studio for making violins using the technologies of ancient Italian masters such as Stradivari, Guarneri, Amati?

- Unfortunately, I have not been able to visit these famous workshops but I have seen similar ones in Germany and Georgia.

- Can you tell us about your instrument?

- I'm very careful about it, as if it is a living creature. My violin is of Austrian origin made in the 19^th century. It sounds great but I can make it play more gently, sadly and passionately. It is better to have an old and used instrument because a dry old tree sounds better.

- Are there any musicians in your family?

- No professionals. However, my father and brother finished musical school in the class of tar. Dad is a journalist, my brother is a businessman, and my mother is a philosopher and philologist, professor of BSU. She raised me as a musician.

- Who was your mentor at school?

- I studied under Fatima Idiatulina, who kind of raised me from the very beginning. Then my teacher was Zahra Guliyeva.

- What about your best performances?

- It was at the International Don Vincenzo Viti Contest in Italy, where I was one of those participants who received 100 points out of a hundred possible. As a result, I was ranked the first to get the Grand Prix. I was proud that this was not only my victory but a victory of my country, which has a rich culture. I had many more interesting performances as well. For example, together with Spivakov, we visited the U.S. on the 65^th anniversary of the Victory Day. We spoke at UNESCO. Then we had a concert in France at the UN headquarters. I try to include as much as possible Azerbaijani music in my programs, and that is why it is especially pleasant when spectators come up with a request for notes and are interested in the author of the work. For example, when we performed the Mugham Poem by Fikret Amirov. The reaction of audience to Azerbaijani music is simply amazing. Music is our trademark, for which they know and love us. I am honoured to perform at home, under the indescribable beauty of nature in Gabala with the most famous musicians of the world. This is the nature that gives a burst of energy. In this festival, I perform regularly. And I'm very excited to see our flag on my stand when I represent Azerbaijan abroad or as part of our national orchestra - you understand that you are trusted in your homeland.

- Your memorable concerts and meetings?

- The most memorable one in my life was a concert where my dad was rushing to the stage with a huge bouquet of roses under a long applause after the graduation. That was the best day for me. Or a concert where I was given 15 bouquets of flowers. A meeting where I met with the best musicians in the world, for example, in Finland with pianist Ralph Gotoni on a master class, which showed how to play in a new way.

- What are you working on now?

- The third symphony-concert of Khayyam Mirzazade, Diptych, where I will be the first performer. It is a very modern composition, I will perform it at the festival on the occasion of the 90^th anniversary of Rostropovich.

- What do you do in your spare time?

- I want to learn Spanish as well. To escape from reality, I read fiction books and watch comedies. I like writing poetry - not so much about love as about pain in love. I try to prepare dishes of Italian, French, Japanese and Russian cuisines.

- How do you like to relax?

- By the sea. I love the Caspian Sea; the waves soothe me. And Nabran, where we usually rest in the summer. I have spent all my childhood there.

- What do you plan to do this summer?

- It will depend on my agenda of performances. But I can successfully combine concerts with rest, walks, excursions, beaches.

- Your dreams and desires?

- I wish that my family and friends are healthy, and my dream is just to be happy, although I can say I'm already happy, as I value creative happiness above personal and female happiness. I also want to replay a huge pack of violin literature of different directions - from classics to the avant-garde. And my main dream is to become a globally recognised musician.

- Good luck in your creative life!