Omer Meir Wellber pulls the strings of his BBC Philharmonic in a Prom partly inspired by puppet theatre – including a new work by Berlin-based Uzbek composer Aziza Sadikova. Plus Britten's Nocturne with tenor Allan Clayton and Haydn’s Symphony No. 80.
Omer Meir Wellber, the BBC Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor, is a keen fan of Haydn. ‘Apart from period-instrument ensembles,’ the conductor notes, ‘hardly anyone plays him much these days, and bigger orchestras need to be able to play his music. I’m going to be conducting a lot of Haydn with the BBC Philharmonic.’
Accordingly, two Haydn works frame tonight’s programme – the overture to Philemon und Baucis, a puppet play written in 1773 for the Esterházy court; and the Symphony No. 80, composed 11 years later at the height of the composer’s international fame.
Tonight’s new commission – Marionettes, from Uzbek-born, Berlin-based Aziza Sadikova – continues the puppet-play theme, while Britten’s Nocturne – one of the treasured song-cycles he wrote for his partner, the tenor Peter Pears – explores the world of night-time and dreams in settings of words by some of Britain’s greatest poets, from Shakespeare to Tennyson. The soloist tonight is leading British tenor and former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Allan Clayton.
Aziza Sadikova is a Berlin-based composer from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She studied piano and composition at Uspensky Special Music School for gifted children. Aziza continued her studies at the Tashkent State Conservatory in the class of composer Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky. She graduated with 1st class BMus (Hons) and MA in composition from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Trinity College of Music, London (class of Philip Cashian and Alwynne Pritchard) and organ ( class of Prof. David Saint)
Her music performed at festivals: Wien Modern Festival, Philharmonische-Akademie-Konzerte in Hamburg, Young Euro Classics, Kasseler Musiktage, Audi Vorpsrung, Salzburg Aspekte, Randfestspiele, Klangwerkstatt Berlin, Nuova Musica Treviso, Uckermarkische Musikwochen, Sound Source and Southbank Festival in London, Theaterformen Hannover, Klang-Zeit Festival, ReMusic Festival in S-Petersburg and others.
Aziza Sadikova works with conductors: Kent Nagano, Omer Meir Wellber, Jonathan Stockhammer, Vladimir Jurowski, Max Renne, Elias Grandy, Rüdiger Bohn, Manuel Nawri, Miguel Perez Inesta, Jonas Janulevičius, Johannes X. Schachtner, Joseph Bastian, David Coleman and reknowned writers: Arno Geiger, Jens Schroth, Luke Davies. She works with award-winning soloists: Simone Rubino (percussion), Julian Steckel (cello), Yury Revich (violin), Thomas Gould (violin), Natalia Pschenitchnikowa (soprano), Konstantin Manaev (cello), Matthias Bauer (double bass).
Her music explores various sides of New Music, ranging from unconventional instrumental techniques and experiments with music theatre elements with complex structural, rhythmic components (Ein Brief, Silberklang, opera Alles über Sally), or being influenced by dramatic and expressive dramaturgy of Romantic masters (Untitled for choir and orchestra, Cello Concerto), towards depicting elegant stylistic textures of music of Neo-Baroque (Variation, CPE Bach Cadences, Sonata for Giuseppe Tartini).
Among commissions, are: UDK Mendelssohn Wettbewerb for new work Fantasie, Ensemble Quillo for an opera Alles über Sally in collaboration with Staatsoper dramaturge Jens Schroth and Kinderoper “Sterntaler”, Berliner Camerata for cadences for BACH CD released on Label ClassicClips, from Zafraan ensemble in Berlin’s Tanz-Uferstudios with piece “Stimme im Schatten”, from duos and quartets for Unerhörte New Music Series on Kafka Projects , Poetry Slam from Junge Deutsche Philharmonie, Hamburger Philharmoniker, directed by Kent Nagano, Beethoven -Sadikova Project from Elbphilharmonie and Opera production Der Ring des Nibelungen at Radialsystem and Elbphilharmonie.
In 2017 Julian Steckel gave the premier of Aziza Sadikova’s Cello Concerto with Philharmonisches Orchester Heidelberg under direction of Elias Grandy. A percussion concerto Lichtscherben , performed by star percussionist Simone Rubino in 2019, received great acclaim at Beethovensaal in Stuttgart with SWR orchestra and now is part of his repertoire.
Aziza Sadikova is featured in concerts at Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Berlin Radialsystem, Berlin Konzerthaus, Leishalle Hamburg, Beethovensaal Stuttgart, Stadthalle Heidelberg, Staatstheater Ingolstadt, Uferstudios Berlin, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Barbican Pit Theatre, Meierhold Theatre Moscow, Bayerische Akademie der Schonen Kunste, Theatre Münster, Kaunas Philharmonie,Thomaskirche Leipzig.
Her awards include Kunst-Förderpreis by Berlin-Brandenburg Kulturministerium and Europäischer Komponistenpreis. She received several artist-in-residence scholarships at Künstlerhaus Wiepersdorf Schloss. BBC have chosen A.Sadikova for “100 women” TV documentary. Her works have been featured on BBC Radio, Deutschland Radio Kultur, Rundfunk Berlin, Moscow TV Culture Channel, MDR Figaro Dresden, SWR2.
She attended masterclasses with Friedrich Goldmann, Johannes Schöllhorn, Gia Kancheli, Walter Zimmermann, Mark Pekarsky, Alexander Ivashkin, Gerard McBurney, Klaus Huber.
Pier, 8 The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ