ST DUO Returns to Eurasian Stars for Colourful Evening of Piano and Orchestral Music
Comprising pianists Sofia Sakhnova and Antonina Luzko, the duo appeared alongside the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan, conducted by its Chief Conductor and Eurasian Stars Artistic Director Alibek Kabdurakhmanov. The programme featured two works distinguished by their playful character and inventive musical writing: Alexey Shor's Verdiana and Camille Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals.
The evening opened with Verdiana, performed in a transcription for piano four hands and orchestra by Karen Ananyan. Drawing inspiration from the musical world of the great Italian opera composer, the three-movement composition brings together familiar operatic influences with a distinctive contemporary character, combining brilliant piano writing with moments of humour and rhythmic vitality.
For ST DUO, the performance carried particular significance, with the musicians describing it as a premiere of the four-hands orchestral version of the composition.
"It was an exciting challenge to premiere “Verdiana” for four-hands with an orchestra", the two explained. "Understandably the options for a piano duo for four hands, with an orchestra, are quite limited and so we are quite pleased with this addition to our growing repertoire."
The programme then continued with Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals, one of the most imaginative and beloved compositions in the classical repertoire. Across its fourteen movements, the work depicts a colourful procession of creatures and characters, from majestic lions and graceful swans to lively kangaroos and musical interpretations of the natural world, all of which provided an ideal showcase for the duo's close artistic partnership.
The concert also marked a welcome reunion between ST DUO and Maestro Kabdurakhmanov, following their previous collaboration at the 2024 edition of Eurasian Stars. Indeed, commenting on the performance, Kabdurakhmanov expressed his pleasure at welcoming the musicians back to Uzbekistan. "It was wonderful to share the stage with Sofia and Antonina once again. They are two excellent musicians with a fantastic understanding of one another, and their enthusiasm and energy make working with them a real pleasure. The programme was full of imagination and character, and it offered something a little different from our other concerts this year, which is exactly what we want Eurasian Stars to provide."
The duo themselves were equally delighted with the reunion, declaring that "the Eurasian Stars festival is a true celebration of music-making! We are delighted to collaborate with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan and Maestro Kabdurakhmanov".
With the festival now approaching its halfway point, Eurasian Stars continues to demonstrate the breadth of its musical programme, bringing international performers and distinguished orchestral musicians together for a series of varied performances in the Uzbek capital.
