Anjelika Akbar (born 1969 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan) is a Turkish composer and pianist of Uzbek descent.
She was born Anjelika Rosenbaum Akbar to a family of a Jewish musician-philosopher father and an Uzbek musician mother. She could play the piano and read music at the age of 2,5. Akbar began taking private piano lessons when she became 3 years old. Her first master was V.Lipovetsky, one of the founders of Chinese Harbin Conservatory and a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory.
At the age of 4, she was discovered to possess the Absolute Pitch, and admitted to the school for gifted children (child prodigies) at the age of 4.5, drawing the interest of the Moscow State Conservatory academicians. She continued her education at the Tashkent division of the same school. (Uspkensky State Music School- offering 11 year-education for gifted children).
The unique trait of the school for gifted children was that lessons were taught by the most brilliant professors of the conservatory. Like the world-renowned Alexei Sultanov and Stanislav Ioudenitch, Akbar has claimed her place among the best students of the school.
She studied her 11-year long piano and composition in the classes of Ass. Prof. V. Fadeyeva, Prof. A. Berlin and Prof. B. Zeydman of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. Soon after Akbar entered Tashkent State Conservatory where she studied composition, orchestration and piano for additional 5 years to complete her education.
Russian Board of Composers has recognized her as the “Best Young Composer”. She has become a member of Ukraine branch of the Board in 2006. Affiliating with the Board facilitates the composer members publishing their works or performing in concerts, also meant for its members to merit the title of “Honorary Artist” rewarded by the Ministry of Culture.
Akbar completed her Master’s Degree in composition and orchestral conductor in Turkey where she arrived as a UNESCO member and stayed permanently, having been naturalised as a Turkish citizen, and receiving the “Degree for Proficiency in Art” after submitting her thesis in the class of Ass. Prof. Turgay Erdener on the subject of Russian composer A. Skriabin’s “Analysis of Selected Piano Works in Harmonic, Melodic, Rhythmic, Formal and Philosophical Aspects” and composing “Symphony No.1” in Hacettepe State Conservatory. (“Proficiency in Art” is the equivalent of Doctorate for composers.)
She has been working with Composer Ali Darmar since 2003.
Akbar recorded her first album “Su” (water) featuring her preludes in 1999.
A first in the world, the solo piano adaptation of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” violin concertos was published by Sony Music International in 2002, making its way to the Sony Classical catalogue as the first ever Turkish Classical Music album in the catalogue. Again in 2002, Anjelika Akbar co-performed the “bir’den Bir’e” album with Rana Erkan and Zara.
She performed “Bach A L’ Orientale” album in 2003. She comments on this album fusing Bach works with Oriental instruments: “This is not a musical experience, but the basic need of a newly formed world. I wanted the people to be embraced by each other’s music, before embracing each other.”
“Bir Yudum Su” (A Drop of Water), an album including the artist’s compositions and arrangements was released in November, 2005.
She performed the Piano Concerto No.1 titled “Sevgi Çemberi” (Circle of Love) the world premiere during the introductory concert of 10th International CRR (Cemal Reşit Rey) Piano Festival. Her Symphonic Poem “Kutsal İmler” (Sacred Signs) composed for ‘Indian Instruments Group and Symphonic Orchestra’ was performed by the Symphonic Orchestra in the world premiere in AKM, conducted by A.Pirolli. Her tribute composition for Atatürk, called “Güneşin Doğduğu Ufuk-Piyano ve Senfonik Orkestra için Rapsodi” (Horizon where the Sun Rises - Rhapsody for Piano and The Symphonic Orchestra) was performed by the Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Rengim Gökmen as a world premier.
Anjelika Akbar composed over four hundred works for the chorus, piano and other instruments with the Symphonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, and performed in countless concerts in Russia, France, Germany, Baltic Countries, Middle Asia, India, TRNC, Katar and Turkey.
The musical notes of the “Album for the Youth” featuring 12 compositions for the piano (Anjelika Akbar- Rosenbaum Album Pour La Jeunesse) was published in France, in 2006 by EMR Paris.
Anjelika Akbar is the holder of many awards, some of them are: Moscow “Sobesednik” Press Award; USSR Ethnic Music Award ; “Golden Lenin Award” Uzbekistan “Best Young Composer” Award; USSR Board of Composers “Best Young Composer” Award; 4TH Nejat Eczacıbaşı Composition Contest “Third Place Prize” Anjelika Akbar’s music, put in words by composer Ali Darmar: “Her music is extremely lyrical, mystic and melodic; following a cosmic-rooted philosophy with a musical structure that renders all these features apparent. She is able to employ all techniques appropriate for the content (tonal, atonal and modal at times). Her works are notably characterized as polyrhythmic in the sense of rhythmic structure...”
Akbar was interviewed by two of Turkish Airlines' official monthly Skylife's journalists Julide Karahan and Ihsan Uysal which was featured article in Airline's magazine published in November 2009.
Read more about Anjelika Akbar: Trivia