Maker Aisha Orazbayeva

The Kazakh violinist Aisha Orazbayeva (1985) moves effortlessly between old and new repertoire, as evidenced by her four solo albums featuring her own work, as well as music ranging from Telemann to Sciarrino. In those recordings, The New Yorker notes a remarkable ‘unity of head, heart and hands’. It is clear that Aisha is constantly seeking new horizons, without losing sight of the familiar. In 1000 Songs of the Kazakh People, she unfolds a unique sonic universe of Kazakh music from the early 19th century to the present day. Archival recordings of folk songs and their Soviet interpretations, Kazakh Soviet pop, and Orazbayeva’s own reworkings of this repertoire stand alongside her own compositions. 

Thanks to the Residency, I can realise projects that I could only dream of in my busy performing life.’

Aisha Orazbayeva