Trumpets

Zhassulan Abdykalykov

In the orchestra since 2019

Zhasulan Abdykalykov was born on July 1, 1992 in Kazakhstan. In September 2003, he entered the Kazakh National Music Academy (tuba class under Pyotr Zhizhila); in 2010, he was accepted to the 2nd year of the Academic Music College at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. In 2018, he graduated from the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory. He also studied at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater under professor Matthias Höfs.

Zhasulan Abdykalykov won the 3rd prize at the “Music Assemblies of Syberia” All-Russian Open Festival, a contest for young brass and percussion players (Novosibirsk, 2008). He also won the 2nd place (in 2011) and the 1st place (in 2016) at the International contest for young brass and percussion players held by the Moscow State Conservatory.

He is a laureate of the 1st prize at the International contest for young brass and percussion players (2011). In 2016, he became 1st at the Elise Meyer contest (Hamburg); in 2019, he was 8th at the 16th Tchaikovsky International Contest.

Since August 2019, Zhasulan Abdykalykov has been the regulator of the tuba group at the musicAeterna orchestra.

CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE?

It must have been around 2001, when I was still playing the recorder (all brass players start with it since other instruments are too heavy for a child). However, I don’t think I gave much thought to going up on stage as a kid. Only in the 6th or 7th grade did I realize people were looking at me while I was performing; that’s when I started feeling the responsibility. Of course, I now feel way more confident about it, but I still get the feeling of creative anxiety. You can’t really go and perform without that feeling.

HOW DO YOU GET READY FOR A PERFORMANCE?

The day before, I try to imitate the day of the performance. This helps me understand how my body is going to react. I do some practice in the morning, take a nap after lunch, perform in the evening — and then I repeat it all on the next day. Just like a sportsman warms up and gives his muscles some rest, I prepare my body for the concert. I also used to do emotional preparation in the past: I tried to focus my mind on playing to the best of my ability. However, you get wiser with age: you stop caring about impressing someone and simply do what you love doing.

CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ANYTHING ELSE BUT A MUSICIAN?

I could see myself being a sportsman. I adore soccer — both playing and watching it. In fact, music and sports have much in common: both require discipline, daily practice, a strive towards success, an on-the-road lifestyle, and teamwork of course.

WHAT MAKES MUSICAETERNA SPECIAL TO WORK WITH?

It’s more than just another orchestra. We even play standing up, as if each of us were a soloist. And it’s true, in fact. Most of the orchestra members are also successful soloists. At musicAeterna, they are all united by a common ideal.

WHO HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU AS A MUSICIAN?

I was very lucky with the teachers I met. They all were not just instructors, but true mentors. I'll always remember the phrase of my teacher from the academy: "You will work for your name now, and later your name will work for you." This wisdom still guides me: we must work hard, never stay idle, and all our efforts will be rewarded.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

For me, work is my favourite hobby. I enjoy working. I like the process itself and the fact that there is a starting point and a visible result. And I don't like long weekends. I always have a lot of plans, but I never get to implement all the ideas.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE COMPOSER?

For me, Mahler stands in the first place as a composer. I love his symphonies for the large scale and power of the brass sound. Even now, his findings in the field of brass instruments sound very fresh. I would really love to play the first trumpet in Mahler's Symphony No. 5. We performed this piece with the orchestra, but I was not ready for this part at the time. Now I feel that I have matured. I will be glad to perform it when the Symphony No. 5 returns to the orchestra's repertoire.