Born in Moscow, GRAMMY Award-nominated cellist and conductor Dmitry Yablonsky’s career has taken him to Carnegie Hall, Teatro alla Scala and Théâtre Mogador, among other such celebrated venues.

As a conductor he has worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM, Mexico, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2010 he received the Diploma of Honorary Academician at the Independent Academy of Liberal Arts at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He has transcribed and edited works for cello which have been published by the International Music Company and Dover Publications. In 2008 Naxos released his recording of Popper’s Forty Études for solo cello (8.557718–19) to critical acclaim.

He is a professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University and has served as artistic director of the Wandering Stars Music Festival in Israel since 2019. Yablonsky is currently music director of Kyiv Virtuosi. He plays two cellos, a Joseph Guarnerius, filius Andrea and a Matteo Goffriller.

www.dmitryablonsky.com

Fikret Amirov was one of the most prominent composers in Azerbaijan and in the former Soviet Union. His music was strongly influenced by Azeri folk melodies. Amirov was awarded the title ‘People’s Artist of the USSR’ and the USSR State Prize. His most famous works include the symphonic works Shur, Kurd Afshari, Azerbaijan Capriccio, Gulustan Bayati-Shiraz, To the memory of the Heroes of the Great National War, as well as the Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra.