Ikrom Akbarov

A composer, «Honored Art Worker of Uzbekistan», a mature composer who achieved success and recognition in Uzbekistan and the republics of Central Asia, and a recipient of the State Prize of Uzbekistan and several international awards.

Composer Ikrom Akbarov was born in Tashkent in 1921. He graduated from the Tashkent State Conservatory (1939-1945) and the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (including its postgraduate program, 1945-1954), and in 1954, he began his professional career as a teacher at the Tashkent State Conservatory.

His creative career began in 1941.

He graduated from the Tashkent Conservatory in 1945.

He graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory in 1950.

He continued his studies in the postgraduate program of the Leningrad Conservatory from 1950 to 1953.

He first worked in cinema in 1957 («In Honor of Happiness»).

Ikrom Akbarov entered the world of music brightly and vigorously. After finishing the piano department of the Hamza Music College, he entered and continued his studies at the composition faculty of the Tashkent Conservatory (receiving lessons from Moscow Conservatory educators Yu. Fortunatova, and later S. Vasilenko, L. Revutskiy, and A. Kozlovskiy), then I. Akbarov studied the secrets of music art in the postgraduate program at the Leningrad Conservatory (under educators M. Steinberg, and later B. Arapov and V. Voloshinova). During his studies, his multifaceted talent became apparent.

I. Akbarov mastered chamber-instrumental, symphonic, and vocal music genres. His early musical works were characterized by the author's independent perspective, the revelation of the musical charm of his native land, and the enrichment of national musical culture. Later, his musical creativity became closely linked with different musical cultures — incorporating classical Russian and contemporary music, attitudes toward Indian, Spanish, and Kyrgyz musical cultures, and, of course, the treasury of Uzbek musical culture. It is worth noting that the composer skillfully generalized the experiences of different schools and approached all-national musical sources as if they were his own. The composer's worldview is broad and diverse. However, Akbarov's fame is primarily linked to the formation of the Uzbek symphony.

Ikrom Akbarov is an integral part of Uzbek symphonic music. The composer devoted the most attention to instrumental genres (poem, overture, concerto, symphony), and he also sparked great interest in sonatas and instrumental generalization.

The influence of teaching at the Leningrad Conservatory prompted composer Ikrom Akbarov's creative direction. However, this did not alienate Akbarov from national music; rather, he balanced his connections with musical cultures. Both systems were imprinted in the composer's consciousness.

The genres chosen by Akbarov — poem, suite — form the general idea of perfecting Uzbek symphonic music. This conclusion found its main proof. Working on various symphonic pieces, the composer created the «Samarkand Tales» symphony. This period covers mainly the 60s and 70s, and the symphony is considered one of the leading genres in the works of Uzbek authors.

In «Samarkand Tales», the most important features are the characteristics of dramatic works, thinking, and development methods felt to be monophonic.

I. Akbarov gained public attention with his first score, the poem «In Memory of Shakespeare», written in 1954; this initial success in his work found broad development in «Eyshedrema», his 3 concertos for violin and orchestra, the symphonic scenes «Shakuntala», and «Samarkand Tales», and in the 90s, he created the «Symphony-Epitaph», «Symphony for Cello and Orchestra», and viola and chamber concertos.

It should be noted that while symphonic authors in earlier stages used symphonic laws based only on natural folklore samples, today they incorporate the characteristics of oral tradition genres into the symphony. It is not for nothing that, according to researchers, the symphony genre developed in Central Asia because it is very rich in classical musical heritage.

I. Akbarov, who made a significant contribution to the development of musical-theatrical genres in Uzbekistan, created a series of successful performances such as «Mother Earth», «The Stubborn Ones», and other musical dramas and symphonies staged in Uzbekistan and Central Asian republics.

The ballets «Dream», «Layli and Majnun», the operas «Sogdian Lion», oratorios and cantatas like «Tashkent-noma» and «My City» staged at the Tashkent Opera Theater, string quartets, romances, and songs written for folk words such as «Gazli», «Rano», and «Where Are You» are also considered worthy contributions by the artist to the development of cinema art.

In 1956, and later, he wrote music for feature and documentary films such as «Second Spring», «You Are Not an Orphan», «Storm Over Asia», «The Death of the Black Consul», «Tale of Two Hearts», and others.

The works of composer Ikrom Akbarov, who made a huge contribution to 20th-century Uzbek symphonic creativity, were recognized in 1964 with the title of «Honored Art Worker of Uzbekistan», and in 1977 with the State Prize of Uzbekistan for the vocal-symphonic poem «Hamza».

I. Akbarov participated in the International Symphonic Music Festival held in Tashkent in 1998 with the opera «The Error of Beginning». In 1999, he wrote the opera «Jaloliddin Manguberdi» based on the work of M. Shayxzoda.