2019 KMTA Commissioned Composer
“Unchained”
by Gyuli Kambarova
Freedom… Everyone needs it, but it has multiple meanings that are different for everyone. Wealth and power can mean freedom for some people while others want the chance to think without being discriminated against. The need to have a place that is safe and secure has driven people to make extreme sacrifices with the hope that they will achieve a peaceful and comfortable life.
Writing this composition, I went through various ideas of liberty. Peace is a large portion of it, which is not a common phenomenon anymore. In today’s world, it seems that you have to earn peace or be lucky enough to be born in a safe and secure place. Our world is plagued with wars, famine, and abandoned children. Ideas of love and family are distorted. There is a pervading feeling of distrust, unsafe, and being chained to an unwanted life. How do we make people feel unleashed? How do we make them feel happy and joyful? These are the primary questions that inspired me as I created this piece.
Different feelings tore my soul into fragments as I examined the diverse circles of life: rising from the darkness up to the light, struggling step by step to be unchained. Sometimes you have to sacrifice everything to drink of the spirit of freedom. The first movement has the soul of a great fighter, dreaming, but in pain, who never gives up and never looks back.
The second movement opens to a deep world full of excruciating grief and hopelessness. It is a dark place that is friendless and unloving with destruction and desolation everywhere… This gloomy murky world tolls the final thumping heartbeats of a last hope.
The third movement brings light to the next level. The middle part is the American National Anthem, a symbol of freedom and hope. Two opposing themes from the first and third movements face each other for their final confrontation. Darkness and evil surrender their authority and dominance. The theme from the introduction of the first movement and the main motive of the American National Anthem join together as the catharsis of the piece. The proclamation of these two motives allows listeners to feel free from shackles, floating in an unchained world.
My favorite composers are Sergey Rakchmaninov, Dmitriy Shostakovich, Giya Kanchelly, and John Williams. These giants of music have influenced my style and helped me to find my own musical path bringing my unchained philosophy to life hoping to leave its mark on the world.
Everyone deserves a chance to be unchained, live in a secure place, and make dreams come true. The magical power of music can unchain many souls! Everyone should have room for love, hope, and freedom in their heart and be completely released from hopelessness, betrayal, fear, and discrimination. I have found this place and wish for you to find it as well!
Gyuli Kambarova is a classically trained pianist and composer who graduated from the prestigious Rostov State Rachmaninov Conservatory where she received a double Masters of Music, with honors, in Piano Performance and Music Composition.
Her career began in Southern Russia where she composed, performed and taught. In 2010, she moved to Louisville, Kentucky. Her work in the United States includes performances at the University of Louisville School of Music, Youth Performing Arts School, Louisville Academy of Music, and other venues in Kentuckiana as a pianist and composer in collaboration with many of the gifted and talented musicians and dancers of the area.
Gyuli’s work has been internationally recognized by several elite organizations:
· Finalist for the prestigious International Antonin Dvorak Composition Competition (Prague)
· Won the competition "Fifteen-Minutes-Of-Fame: Re-Imagining Shubert" (New York)
· Received several diplomas from "Choir Laboratory XXI Century" (St. Petersburg)
· Received a grant from the International Alliance for Women In Music (Winston-Salem, NC)
· Composed music for Anna Barsukova’s documentaries "You Are Not Alone!" and ”Voice for the Voiceless”
· Won “Diploma for the Music for the Documentary” for her compositions for “You are Not Alone!” (Oryol, Russia)
· Received Third Place Laureate at the “5thInternational Composer Competition named after S. Prokofiev” (Chelyabinsk, Russia)
· Awarded Commissioned Composer 2019 by the Kentucky Music Teachers Association
She has released three CDs: “Dreams” (2014), “My Way” (2016), and “Memories” (2018). These recordings include several different styles such as classical, romantic, jazz, contemporary, and cinematic.
Mrs. Kambarova lives in Louisville and works at the University of Louisville School of Music, the Louisville Academy of Music, Youth Performing Arts School, and gives private piano and composition lessons at her own studio.
Samir Kambarovis originally from Russia where he completed a Bachelor of Music with emphasis in Jazz Performance and Education at Nizhny Novgorod College of Music named for M.A. Balakirev, and Master of Music in Jazz Performance and Education, receiving a diploma with honors from the Rostov State Rachmaninov Conservatoire. In addition, Samir graduated with a Master’s in Jazz Performance from the University of Louisville School of Music Jamey Aebersold Jazz Studies Program. He won 3rd prize at the 5th All-Russia Jazz Competition.
Samir Kambarov has experience teaching students of all levels in two different countries. Starting in 2007, he continued training scholars in Louisville and the area. Being a Graduate Teaching Assistant at University of Louisville School of Music gave Samir opportunities to practice and polish his teaching skills. He has had the opportunity to receive private instructions and perform with great American artists such as Antonio Hart, Jeff Hamilton, Eddie Gomez, Lou Donaldson, Eric Alexander, and many others.
Currently Samir is teaching at the University of Louisville School of Music, playing around the area, and working on a few projects related to jazz studies and jazz improvisation.
Dr. Oleg Bezuglovpraised by Phoenix Classical for “deeply poetic playing, precise intonation and technique” Dr. Oleg Bezuglov enjoys international career as a concert violinist, chamber musician, music educator and entrepreneur. Dr. Bezuglov holds Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance from the Michigan State University College of Music, and a Doctorate in Chamber Music Performance from the Rostov State Conservatory in Russia.
During his studies in Russia, he collaborated with the pianist Natalia Bezuglova to form the ensemble Class&Jazz Duo, which had become known for their interpretations of classical and jazz music. Class&Jazz group garnered the First Prize of the Shostakovich International Competition in Moscow and the Bronze Medal of the Seventh International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in Boston, MA. The violinist of the Russian origin Oleg Bezuglov, was recognized as the Laureate of the National Award Program “Golden Talent” of the Russian Performing Art foundation. He was titled as the Honored Worker of the Russian Music Society for his contributions to popularization of the classical music worldwide, and numerous awards at the international competitions.
Felix Borges is originally from Brazil. He holds a Master degree in Cello Performance from the University of Louisville where he studied with Paul York.
In 2011 he won the Concerto Competition at the University of Louisville, where he later performed the Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 by P. Tchaikovsky with the University of Louisville Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kimcherie Lloyd. While an undergraduate student, he was awarded second place in the Macauley Chamber Music Competition in Louisville.
He performs frequently with several orchestras in the area, including the Lexington Philharmonic, Orchestra Kentucky and Evansville Philharmonic. Felix has performed twice as a guest soloist for the Recife Symphony Orchestra in Brazil; in 2013 he had the honor to perform the Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor under the baton of renowned Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre.
Dr. Natalia Bezuglovais a Russian-born pianist residing at US since 2010. She acquired an international record of success for her colorful and sensitive interpretations of Impressionism, emotional Romantic music and intuitively balanced classical style. She has a number of world premieres created by the living composers
She won: 3rd Prize and Bronze Medal at VII International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in New England (Boston, MA, 2016), the 1stPrize and the title of a “Golden Talent” at the 1st D. D. Shostakovich’s International Chamber Music Competition (Moscow, Russia, 2008). Natalia was awarded scholarships from Alexander Glazunov Foundation (Munich, 2009), the Johannes Brahms Society (Portschach, 2009), and the “Russian Performing Art” Foundation (Moscow, 2008) among others. She also participated in a number of chamber music festivals in Portschach (Austria), Odessa (Ukraine), Moscow and Rostov-on-Don (Russia).
Israel Cuenca was born in Ecuador where he began his musical studies performing with youth orchestras, ensembles, bands and artists. He moved to Louisville in 2008 where he studied at University of Louisville graduating with a bachelor’s in music, 2012 and master’s in music, 2015. He is a versatile percussionist, performing all kinds of music from Latin Jazz, Funk to Classical Music. He has studied with well-known educators like Jamey Aebersold, Michael Tracy, John LaBarbera, Mike Hyman, Jason Tienman among others. Israel also has performed and recorded with different ensembles, bands and soloists in the US and South America. He resides in Louisville, Ky where he’s an active percussionist involve in different musical projects.